


Abandon Ship

by OrionRedde, Shyrstyne



Series: Heart Hotel Stands AU [8]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background Relationships, Betrayal, Canon typical character death, Depression, Mild Blood, Multi, Nightmares, background akusai, background data sora/data riku, but like.. low key, low key vanven, low key xehaqus, wlw elrena and mlm lauriam solidarity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:09:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 114,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25552579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrionRedde/pseuds/OrionRedde, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shyrstyne/pseuds/Shyrstyne
Summary: The end is in sight. Again, and again, and again, and again and agai-Even the strongest will break under enough weight.
Relationships: Kairi/Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Heart Hotel Stands AU [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1478012
Comments: 450
Kudos: 258
Collections: Sea-Salt Family Fics (KH)





	1. (To hear us talk)

**Author's Note:**

> Prologue

_“Grandma, tell me the whole story tonight please? From the beginning.”_

_“Why, dearest? You’re always so sad afterwards.”_

_“I’unno. I’m.. Tryna remember something, I think.”_

_“.... Well alright. In bed now, dear, and we’ll begin.”_

_“Thank you, gramma.”_

_“All settled? Good. Long long ago.._

_The world was made of light. The people loved the Light, and the Light loved them in turn. The Light had so much love to give, you see, but it loved none more than its protector, the Holy Paladin.”_

_“And she loved it too, right?”_

_“She did. She loved the Light fiercely, and would lay her very life down to protect the Light from those who would do it harm. The Light in turn granted her special blessings, crafted with painstaking care from its form, giving her incredible tools to aid her already impressive skills in battle.”_

_“She’s so cool. I wanna be like her someday.”_

_“If you work very hard, dearest, you just might. Now, the Light and the Paladin were very happy, but despite the adoration of those they served and protected, there was a distance between them. People can be greedy creatures, often coveting the light for themselves, and though the Light understood, this made them both very lonely.”_

_“Why did people want the light?”_

_“Many reasons. Protection, warmth, safety.. And some more selfish. Greed, avarice, jealousy. The Light had many powers, and such great power comes with many cares and responsibilities, even back when the world was new. So the Light and the Paladin kept to themselves, and as a result they were terribly lonely despite being so loved.”_

_“Oh…”_

_“Would you like to stop?”_

_“No! Keep going! I wanna hear about the boy!”_

_“All right, settle down dearest, I’m getting there. Every tale is different, how the Light met the boy. Sometimes they meet while attending an event for the King of the land. Sometimes the Boy is a King or Prince himself. Sometimes they meet in a quiet glade as the Light tries to escape the adoration of the crowds. Sometimes they are brought together by others- A quest, or the Paladin herself. Whatever truly happened, the result is the same.”_

_“They fall in love!”_

_“Yes, dear. It’s a slow thing, as all the best loves are. The boy does not covet the light, content to love and appreciate it from afar, and the Light is drawn to the boy, appreciating his complex humanity, gentle kindness and fierce protectiveness in equal measure. They spend years together, falling bit by bit in love.”_

_“What about the Paladin?”_

_“The Paladin is not a jealous creature. All she had ever wanted was the Light’s happiness, and the boy makes the Light very happy. In time, the Light introduces the boy to the Paladin, and slowly do they too fall in love. Every kingdom needs a king, and the Light and Paladin lovingly tease the Boy by calling him theirs”_

_“That’s so sweet..”_

_“Many a novel has been written inspired by these ancient tales. The Light, the Paladin, and the Boy.”_

_“Can I read them? I’m getting really good at reading!”_

_“Perhaps someday. Would you like me to finish the story?”_

_“Yes please.”_

_“Unfortunately many humans did not understand the beauty unfolding before them. Some believed that the Boy was going to steal the Light all for himself. Others thought he might try to destroy the Light. Some were worried for the Boy, not believing something so large and powerful as the Light could love someone so beneath them, and so they tried to tear them apart.”_

_“No!”_

_“I’m afraid so. What was done varies from tale to tale too, but I won’t detail such grim things tonight. The ending is always the same; the Boy dies, and the Light and the Paladin are nearly destroyed by the strength of their grief.”_

_“That’s horrible..”_

_“It’s always hard to lose someone you love, especially one adored as deeply as they had loved the Boy. The world nearly shuddered itself to pieces under the force of their despair.”_

_“But they found a way to save him, right?”_

_“In a sense. Eventually, the Paladin discovers a way to return the Boy to their side, but it comes at a heavy cost. The Light will be forever altered, mortal in ways it had never experienced before, as would the Paladin, returning her to even below her humble origins._

_Neither had any hesitation, however. To them, no cost was too high to return their love to them. If they should now grow old and die together, rather than bask in the eternal light, then to them that wasn’t so bad.”_

_“Did it work?”_

_“No one knows. The Light and Paladin vanished, and though the Light left it’s body behind, no one knows what happened to the Light itself. Perhaps they’re out there still, content with the choices they’ve made, or perhaps the spell still has yet to take effect.”_

_“That’s when everyone started fighting each other, right?”_

_“Yes. Everyone loved the Light, you see, and without the Light to oversee its power and domain, the people started to fight over the bits of its form it had left behind. They collected its pieces for themselves, some to protect it, some trying to gather them in hopes of resurrecting the lost Light, and some simply for power.”_

_“Eventually, the worlds tore themselves apart, and started anew, separate from each other. Though the Light had vanished, those tiny glimmers of its form still lived on..”_

_“In the hearts of children, right?”_

_“Yes, in the hearts of children just like you.”_

_“Thank you for the story, Grandma. I promise it didn’t make me sad this time.”_

_“Now child, it’s not nice to tell falsehoods.”_

_“No, really! It’s not sad I just… I feel like I miss them just as much as the characters in the story do, and that makes me sad.”_

_“I understand. But now it is time for sleep.”_

_“Okay. G’night, gramma.”_

_“Good night, Kairi.”_


	2. On A Tree Fallen Across The Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey begins.. sort of

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tldr my mental health is a trashfire rn and i'm extracating myself until i can function like a somewhat normal human being and hopefully i'll be back soon

Riku shrugs on his new jacket, stepping out to enthusiastic hooting from Sora and Kairi.

“It’s- It’s not that great.” He blushes, absentmindedly pulling his hair back into a ponytail. He wants to cut it, like it had been in the dream worlds. He knows Kairi will miss being able to play with it, but the shorter cut had felt.. Freeing, without that weight and history around him. There hasn’t really been time, though, so he settles for tying it back and hoping it doesn’t get in the way too much.

“You look fantastic.” Kairi assures, and Sora nods enthusiastically. They’ve both already changed into their own outfits, and he can’t help casting his own appreciative eye over them too. Kairi’s sporting a sleeveless pink jacket and a pair of functional black leggings along with a set of shin high combat boots similar to Riku’s own. Sora’s outfit is surprisingly similar to his outfit from the dream worlds, though with more black than red now, and little yellow accents scattered across it, red bands criss-crossing across his legs holding his hip pouches.

“You guys look great!” Sora gives a big thumbs up. “And the fairies said they ward off darkness as good as any cloak. We’re ready to take on the worlds!”

“We are, and we _all_ look great.” Riku returns, pleased to see Sora rub at his cheek, blushing.

“So!” Kairi claps her hands. “Where to first?”

“We’ve got a few options.” Riku falls into planning mode, one hand going to his chin in thought. “Top of the list is finding Aqua and Ven’s body, and Sora needs to regain what he lost in the exam.”

Sora winces, but rallies admirably. Kairi takes one hand and Riku pats his shoulder.

“We also need to find bodies for the others.” Sora reminds. “And figure out what Xehanort's real plan is.”

“Yes.” Kairi nods. “It’s a lot of stuff, but we can do it!”

“Mickey was looking into the body thing.” Riku says. “I’ll text him later and see if he has any updates. Donald and Goofy are with him looking for clues about Xehanort too.”

“We know he wants this.. Clash of thirteen darknesses and seven lights.” Kairi hums. “The question is _why.”_

“Not to mention whatever the data DiZ plans to do in Sora’s heart. Hopefully he plans to just sulk there and not bother anybody, but Ienzo and chipmunks are looking into it just in case. And all that’s just what we _don’t_ know.” Riku sighs. “Let’s start with what we _can_ do. We don’t know where Ven’s body is, _but_ Terra remembers where Aqua fell into the realm of darkness. I vote we start there and see if we can’t trace her steps.”

“Sounds good to me. Sora?” Kairi glances over to him. Sora nods.

“Let’s go save Aqua!”

-

The square in Radiant Garden is nearly completely restored, Sora never would have guessed they’d only started work on the world a couple of years ago. It looks fantastic.

“We’re going on an adventure!” Sora cheers, a skip in his step as Riku and Kairi walk more sedately alongside him. “All three of us this time! This is gonna be great!”

“Focus, Sora.” Kairi chides, though there’s a laugh in her voice at his merriment. “I’m excited too, but we’ve got stuff to do.”

Riku reaches over to ruffle Sora’s hair, which makes the boy pout.

“She’s right, but don’t let that stop you. I like your excitement.”

“See, someone likes me.” Sora pokes his tongue out at Kairi childishly, prompting her to try and poke it just as childishly.

Riku comes to an abrupt halt near the center of the square, Sora and Kairi nearly running into him. Terra forms in the air above them.

“We’re here.” Riku murmurs, prompting Sora and Kairi to adopt his serious state. “This is where Aqua fell.”

Terra floats forward, towards a specific spot, hand reaching out to touch the cobblestones below.

“Here.” He says. Riku nods.

“And this’ll bring us to her?” Sora asks. Kairi looks to Riku, who shrugs.

“Probably not directly, but Terra thinks if we follow the path she took it might be easier to find her than searching blindly.”

Ven also forms, crossing his arms meaningfully. Terra chuckles, floating up to pat the armour on the head endearingly.

“She’s been on that path for ten years though.” Kairi points out. “We don’t have that kind of time.”

“The dark isn’t really linear like the realm of light is.” Riku says, and the other two have to assume he knows what he’s talking about. “Plus…” He looks up at Terra, who nods.

“Me and Ven.” The wraith clenches a fist to his chest. Ventus mimics him, just as solemn. “Our wayfinders may be gone with our bodies, but the connection they created is as strong as ever.”

“Right.” Riku nods. “Basically, we’ve got a pair of compasses, which should make this go faster.”

“We’ll find her.” Sora says, all determination. He looks over to Ven, and gives him a beaming smile. Ven can’t smile back, but he signs his thanks and Sora can feel the warm appreciation that flows through him.

Riku raises his keyblade simultaneously with Terra’s, a variation just slightly evolved from Ends of the Earth, and a portal springs to life before them.

They all walk through.

-

“Not to question you,” Saïx says, entirely meaning to question, “But we are far short of the numbers you claim to need for this plan.”

“Which is why you are here.” Xehanort’s smirk is oily. Saïx represses his anger, made easy through long years of practice. “You have procured one replica from Castle Oblivion, and we have a plan to gain access to more. I see no reason to worry.”

Saïx exhales through his nose in an attempt to keep himself calm.

Stars, he _hates_ this. Even freshly nobodied once more the connections refused to die, and now more aware than ever before he feels a coiling revulsion at this person.

 _For Lea,_ he reminds himself. _For Lea’s kids._

“I understand.” Saïx says. “Perhaps it would assist me if you were to divulge these plans.”

“All things in due time.” Xehanort’s confidence is nauseating. “I have many pieces in play. First the replica’s.”

“Both Zexion and Even have returned to the side of light.” Saïx says. “They have no reason to assist us.”

“Perhaps as things stand, no.” Xehanort allows. “But if we made a play to their compassion, so recently rediscovered, I believe they will come around.”

Saïx freezes.

“You mean to threaten one to secure the cooperation of the other.”

“I only need one. Allowing the other to walk free is a sacrifice I can make at this juncture.” Xehanort’s cavalier discussion of the sacrifice of lives makes Saïx’s skin crawl. He’s reminded of someone else who’s freedom had been sacrificed for others' machinations. He shakes his head minutely.

“Replica’s still take time to create, even with an expert on hand.”

“That they do. Having several partially complete ones from Oblivion will speed the process along, but you are correct, we will have to mind how we do things so that they are all still ready in time.” Xehanort allows.

Saïx remains silent. He thinks of the supposedly empty doll that he’d found with partial coding for the No. i project, an abandoned second attempt at it he assumes, the one that had moved of its own volition long before it had been supposed to. It had sat still and silent ever since, awaiting someone to essentially turn it on. He finds himself hesitant to do so, having kept his distance from it.

That won’t last much longer, he knows. It’s needed for Master Xehanort's plan…. But more importantly, it’s needed for _Saïx’s._

“You have your mission.” Xehanort says. “Make it so.”

-

The realm of darkness is much the same as the three remember it. They walk down the dim pathways together, talking and laughing as they go. Ven and Terra form every now and then to point them a direction and then vanish again. They don’t want to stay out so long they’re unconscious after. Not when the search for Aqua still continues.

They’re attacked by heartless more than a few times on the road, but that was expected, and something they had prepared for. It’s not enough to dampen their spirits.

Kairi helps him cut his hair with a little blade made of ice while Sora gives pointers and an active description of how it looks as she works.

They’re never sure how long they walk, going until they tire and then sleeping in shifts, one person always on watch for Heartless.

It’s during one such watch that Riku is confronted by a now familiar blue and white nobody.

“Roxas.” He greets. Roxas nods back, crossing his stubbed legs to hover in the air before him.

Riku knows what this talk is about before Roxas has to say anything, but he lets Roxas start.

-I remember.- He signs. -In Sora’s heart.-

“Ah.” Riku says. “I still.. Want to say it properly.”

-You better.- Roxas’ gestures are sharp. -That one sucked.-

Riku blinks, a little surprised.

“I guess it wasn’t great but- was it really that bad?”

-You would do everything to me and Xion over again? That heartache? That _torture?-_

“No, I-” Riku stutters. “That’s not what I meant.”

Roxas waits, his silence clear in its intent.

_What did you mean?_

Riku takes a deep breath, trying to sort his thoughts.

“What I mean was… I’m sorry for what was done to you. For what I did to you, and especially for the things that were in excess of what _had_ to be done. I’m sorry you didn’t get a choice in any of it.”

-But you would do it all again.-

“If I had to choose between you and Sora I would choose Sora.” Riku looks into Roxas’ mask. “If you hate me for that I don’t blame you, because… yeah I guess it is a shitty thing to say to someone now that I’ve done it. I wouldn’t… torture you the way we did before. And I’d try a lot harder to find a way to not have to choose at all.”

Roxas turns his mask away, and Riku can only assume he’s displeased. It’s only fair really.

“Most of all… I think I’m sorry for listening to DiZ.” Riku continues. “Everything DiZ told me.. Only ever made things worse for you, worse than they had to be. That’s not an excuse, I know. I still listened, and I still did those things.”

-You would try to find a way?- Roxas asks, referring to Riku’s previous statement.

“Yeah.” He nods. “I was so scared and alone then, despite Naminé and Haru and the King… I felt completely isolated, and I think so did they. I just wanted Sora to wake up. So I just.. Assumed DiZ knew what he was talking about when he said there was no other way, that you couldn’t feel and didn’t exist. That all the things that were done to you were necessary. I’m never going to do that again, I promise. If that choice ever comes I will make every effort in my power to find another way. Making that choice again would be an absolute last resort.”

-Sora is.. Pretty special.- Roxas’ signs are hesitant, still absorbing Riku’s words.

“Roxas I mean it.” Riku says. “You don’t have to be okay with me. Not ever.”

-Fuck you.- Roxas’ signs gain some life again. -Xion likes you for some reason and I’m going to find out why. I get it was a shitty (and here he signs something Riku doesn’t recognize, and can only assume is a whole new set of cuss words) situation with no good answer. It sucks being second best, but-

Roxas’ fists clench suddenly, cutting himself off.

“Roxas?” Riku leans forward, worried. Roxas waves him off, returning to signing.

-If it was between you and Xion, I’d choose Xion.-

Riku nods. Maybe the situations weren’t the same, but to Riku it’s unsurprising. Xion was, and always had been precious to Roxas. He’d known that just by knowing how precious Roxas was to her in turn. He can hardly blame Roxas for the sentiment, even without his own actions hovering over both their heads.

-If I’d won that day, I would have. So I guess get it, even if I don’t forgive you for it.- Roxas finishes, and Riku has to pause. Maybe the situations weren’t so different after all.

Still, Riku was the one who _had_ won, who’d actually done it, and thus he is the one who has to deal with the consequences.

“So where does that leave us?” Riku asks softly. Roxas tilts his head.

-I guess we’ll figure it out.-

-

The three of them are singing an old sea shanty they’d learned as children, probably from Lia, when the pathway ends.

Sora blinks, looking across the beach and water.

“Here?”

“I guess so.” Riku says. “Terra?”

Terra forms, armour glinting in the purple hued moonlight. He floats forward, but there isn’t so much to be found here.

“Funny how it’s led back here of all places.” Kairi says softly. The sand is completely undisturbed, having long since settled from their own stay here, but there’s a rock nearby that Riku had accidentally split in two when they had attempted to spar. It’s definitely the same place.

Terra huffs anxiously, fists flexing.

“Nothing?” Riku asks. Terra shakes his head.

“She’s here. She was here. Almost… Deeper?”

“Hm.” Riku hums. “Maybe the realm of darkness has like.. Layers. Like how the realm of sleep did.”

“It’s possible.” Kairi chews on her lip. “Ven?”

Ven forms between them, floating over to where Terra is, reaching out with one hand, keyblade appearing in it.

Before he has the chance to do anything though the ground below them erupts in shadows, throwing both ghosts back and into the three wielders behind them.

“Heartless!” Sora shouts, keyblade flashing to life in his hands. The shadows pour across the ground, and though all of them swipe at the creatures, they seem almost disinterested in the group… at first.

The swarm skims past the group only to coalesce into a massive black tower of malevolent intent, lurching towards them ominously.

Sora blocks the first wave, instantly unable to see his companions past the swirls of dark bodies flying past him. He grits his teeth and bears it out, striking back as soon as he sees the darkness thin. The tower coalesces once more, seeming not even to feel his hit.

Riku launches himself forward, the tip of his keyblade glowing with lightning as he moves.

“Strike!” He shouts, and the tower shudders as it’s lanced through, but it does not collapse. It moves with purpose, spitting individual heartless bodies out of its form as it goes. Sora strikes them down, but still missing so much of his power as he is even that takes far more effort than he likes.

The tower screeches, striking the ground and spilling its darkness in a great wave beneath them. They can all tell what it’s going to do a moment before it happens.

“Sora, Riku!” Kairi shouts, and they both are moving instantly, back to back to back. Terra and Ven above them. Sora feels Kairi’s light reaching out for them and he answers, feeling that connection take hold firmly, and feeling Riku do the same next to him.

The dark swirls into a black pool beneath them, and a moment before it rushes upward from below Kairi flings both arms out with a cry.

“Light!” She bellows with all the strength she can muster, and the blinding gold drowns out near everything with explosive fervor. The ties binding them together release, not broken but loosened until needed. The tower forms again, screeching once more and looking worse for wear now.

“We’ve got it on the ropes!” Terra calls, removing whole groups of shadows with wide swipes of his arms and blade. Ven agrees, making short work of them with his own keyblade. Riku settles back into battle ready, followed quickly by Sora and Kairi.

“I hope so.” Kairi pants. “I _might_ be able to do that again, if I’m lucky.”

Riku nods.

“Alright, hang back with Terra and Ven. Clear the clusters. Sora?” He glances over to him. Sora nods, all determination.

No more words are needed after that, both rushing forward, blades and bodies in sync as they come down hard on the mass of heartless. Again and again and again they strike, and though Sora’s strikes lack the power he once had, combined with Riku’s he finds their strikes do so much more together.

He laughs with exhilaration, until-

The mass sinks into the ground once more, and he stumbles, balance thrown by the sudden lack of anything to stop his weapon as it comes down. He whips his head back, towards Kairi, and the dark is clearly seeking her out once more.

She looks back at them, no fear in her eyes, only grim determination, and she nods. They need no further communication, running towards her and latching onto the light she offers, the tether seeking them out and pulling them closer.

They’re not fast enough, and the dark explodes below all three of them, tossing them mercilessly through the air and then across the ground. Terra vanishes with a shout, no longer able to hold his body together, and Ven follows right after, still reaching for the fading wisps of Terra’s form.

Kairi groans as she tries to sit up, but every inch of her body protests. She sees Sora trying to do the same only mere feet away. He reaches for her, and she reaches back, but they’re not quite close enough. Naminé, Roxas, Xion and Vanitas form above them, setting up a defensive circle, but there’s no way they can stop a head-on attack when their anchors can barely move. Her head swings up, searching for Riku, and that’s when she sees the towering mass of heartless once more.

And in front of it, between them and it, is Riku.

He’s on his feet, though it’s clear only barely. He grits his teeth, glaring up at the monstrosity.

“Well!” He shouts up at it. “Come get me!”

The mass of writhing heartless slams into him, and Kairi can barely hear her own shout of denial over the ringing of disbelief in her ears. She can feel Sora doing the same next to her, still trying to get up, to get to him, but Kairi is paralyzed.

Another explosion of darkness erupts, but this does no harm to them as it washes over their prone forms. The tower wheels weakly as it reels back from the force of it, before finally sinking into the shadows in defeat. It still exists, but right now they will take that victory.

“Riku!” Sora calls, voice breaking with worry and fear. He gets up, tugging Kairi with him as they stumble towards the body.

Riku lists backwards, falling limply against the shallow water with a wet thud. He’s completely unresponsive as Sora and Kairi reach him. Sora pulls out an elixir and waits anxiously as they wait for it to take effect. Naminé and Sora’s heartmates hold their defensive circle even though the heartless appear to have retreated, none of them wanting to take any chances.

It takes far too long for either of their tastes, but Kairi heaves a heavy sigh of relief as Riku slowly blinks tired eyes open, staring up at them both blearily.

He smiles.

“You’re okay.” He says, and Sora blinks tears out of his eyes.

“We’re fine, you giant jerk.” His voice wobbles. “Don’t you dare do that again.”

“As long as you guys are okay, that’s all that matters.” Riku shakes his head, still resting in Sora’s lap.

“We may be okay, but…” Kairi trails off, looking down, and it’s then that he sees what she’s holding.

He reaches out, and she gives him the broken pieces of Way to Dawn.

“Riku…” Sora starts, but he doesn’t really know what to say. He hadn’t even known that could happen- the closest he could recall would be Ven and Vanitas’ stories about the X-blade, and that was an entirely different situation.

“I’m fine.” Riku says, but his head is turned away and not meeting their gazes. “I’ve still got my magic, we should keep looking for Aqua.”

Kairi shakes her head.

“No way. Look at us, we’re all barely standing, you’ve lost the one thing that can actually take care of heartless permanently, and we don’t have any more leads. We should go back, regroup.”

“Yeah.” Sora agrees. “Look, we know this place, right? Which means it’ll be easier to come back here when we’re better. Please, Riku.”

Riku finally looks up, sees how worn and worried they are, and feels himself give in.

“Okay.”

-

Xehanort steps out into a dark city in the midst of a storm.

Rain pelts him as he stands, but he pays it no mind. A figure approaches through the gloom.

“... Who are you?” The question is sharp and full of distrust from the stranger in red. Xehanort keeps his face carefully neutral.

“Let’s say… a friend. You seek revenge.”

“I do. But I will not trust someone who will not even give me his name.” The man turns away.

Xehanort speaks, and the stranger pauses.

“I’m listening.”

“I can assist you in your revenge. On Xehanort, on his pieces, and on the children who stole your revenge from you.”

“.. My name is DiZ. You offer much.” DiZ says, still clearly distrustful.

“You need insurance, I understand.” Xehanort gestures dramatically. “I merely require your assistance in a… small matter, in order to bring your foes together.”

“And what matter is this?” DiZ scowls.

“A fated clash, one that has been prophesied for many years. Thirteen darknesses, and seven lights. Your foes would occupy places on both sides of this clash. Were you to join me as one of my Darknesses, you would be in an excellent position to ensure that the appropriate parties fall, yes?”

DiZ considers this.

“Why would you wish your own members to fail?”

Xehanorts scoffs.

“I care not which parties fall, only that the energy from the clash creates what is needed. Anything beyond that is petty trivialities to me.”

DiZ looks at him for a long, heavy moment.

“Very well.” He gives his answer. Xehanort grins.

“Excellent.”

-

Sora’s phone chirps the moment he steps back into the realm of light, Data Sora blipping into existence as he lights up the screen.

“There you are!” Data Sora huffs like he’s been running. How does that work in the datascape? Sora wonders. “Even and Ienzo have news!”

“News?” Kairi asks, peering over Sora’s shoulder. “What kind of news?”

Data Sora grins. Data Riku walks into the frame and gives a thumbs up.

“They’ve got one of the replica’s ready to go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for sticking with me this far.


	3. The tree the temptest with a crash of wood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sweet agony of seperation (rarely seems to be worth it).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHOS BACK
> 
> talked to some friends who offered some tips and tricks from their own time in therapy and i took some time to really examine myself and how i interact with the world. i think ive made some good progress. (i probably _should_ get actual therapy but uh. its hard) its still a work in progress but then again it probably always will be lol. but! i think im well enough now i can return to this fic and start uploading again. im excited!

Sora bursts through the doors of the Radiant Garden laboratory with enthusiasm, leaving them swinging behind him as he rushes up to the surprised scientists within.

“You have bodies ready?!” He can’t keep his indoor voice, too excited to be contained. The doors swing again as Kairi and Riku follow, panting to keep up to Sora’s excited run.

“Ahem.” Ienzo brushes his coat awkwardly, glancing over at Even, who merely raises an eyebrow. “Yes, we have _a_ body.”

Sora leans back, realising what the stress on that word means.

“Only one?”

“Did you think these are created overnight?” Even scoffs. “The no. i project was _years_ in the making, not to mention we are limited by outdated workspaces and materials. Our only benifit at the moment is the base research having already been completed, though even that we're lacking many of my notes from the project!”

“Oh.” Sora wilts. “How can I possibly ask who should go first..?”

He raises a fist to his chest, just above his heart.

-

Inside is quiet as they process this.

Sora’s heartmates look at each other solemnly.

“... I vote Xion goes first.” Roxas speaks first, hand clasped firmly around Xions. She blinks at him, surprised.

“Roxas?” She asks. His lip trembles.

“You’ve been getting more spacey, don’t think I haven’t been able to tell. And if getting out there fixes everyone’s memories, then I think you should go first.” Roxas argues.

Ven looks over to Vanitas, who is looking unblinkingly at the two kids.

“Vanitas?” He asks. Vanitas shrugs and says nothing.

Ven looks at the ground, not really sure how to follow that up.

“What about Naminé? Or Terra?” Xion asks. “There’s not just us to consider.”

-

“She’s right.” Kairi says as Sora relays her point. “But… I don’t think I could convince Naminé to take it right now. She’s hiding.”

Kairi rubs at her arm, clearly upset by this. Riku puts a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

“Terra won’t take it either. Something about how the kids deserve it more than him.”

They all know Terra’s body, his original one, was gone with the reappearance of Xehanort. It was a sobering truth that none of them really wanted to face.

“He does deserve it though!” Sora protests. “They all do!”

“Of course they do.” Kairi agrees. “But we still only have one body, and….”

She pauses.

“And?” Riku prompts.

“And… How do we move them?”

Oh.

Somehow none of them had thought of that.

“Is that not the whole purpose of the Power of Waking?” Ienzo interrupts, giving them a flat look. “The connection and waking of hearts?”

“One I don’t have anymore.” Sora winces.

“But Riku does.” Kairi points out. “Couldn’t he transfer them?”

Riku frowns, fist clenching.

"Can I though? Way to Dawn is broken." And it wasn't really certain to any of them what that meant yet, especially to such a pernicious thing as the Power of Waking. They all hope that it was merely the physical blade that had been destroyed, and thus a new one could be created, but until such a thing happened it was still uncertain.

“It's possible, but risky, and would require a great deal more preparation.” Even says. “From what I have gathered in my research, it is far more likely to succeed if the transference is initiated by one who is, ah, involved. Though this is all admittedly highly hypothetical.”

Sora sees Kairi’s gaze fall, but is distracted by Riku speaking up, his tone frustrated.

“Terra still won’t take it. He won’t while the kids are still trapped.” He pauses. “His words.”

“So no one takes it.” Sora finishes. He grimaces. “I’m sorry…”

“Sora.” Riku says, tone firm. “This isn’t your fault. It just means you need to find the power within yourself again. I know you can do that. Besides, it’ll give the guys here more time to make more replicas, and me more time to.. Well.” His smile is self deprecating, but not so much that it's painful anymore, and that at least is good.

Sora tries for a smile, but the whole situation makes something anxious stir in him.

“What about Aqua though?” He says instead. “We still need to find her.”

Riku sighs. The group moves off to the side to talk, and the scientists return to their work.

“We’ll have to split up. The power of waking is something more found than taught, unfortunately. I’m sorry, Sora. I know you were excited about travelling together.”

The anxiety in Sora’s chest turns into something tight and bitter.

“It just means you’ll have to find it fast so we can all join up again.” Kairi says, trying her best to lighten the tone of the conversation. “You can do it, Sora.”

“You can.” Riku agrees with a nod. “We believe in you.”

“Right.” Sora breathes, trying to take in their confidence, holding it like a lifeline.

Ven forms between them, signing almost too quickly to read. Sora winces, feeling the frustration from him as clear as day.

It’s clear he’s not happy about splitting up and not being able to help search for Aqua.

“I know, I’m sorry, Ven, I-” Riku tries to apologize, but Ven shows no signs of stopping until Terra manifests too, taking one of Ven’s hands to slow their rapid movements.

“I’ll find her, Ven.” Terra rasps. “I promise. Help Sora.”

Ven holds still for a long moment before falling forward to hug the dark spectre around his tapered waist.

“I know.” Terra murmurs, running a massive hand across the unfeeling armour of Ven’s helmet. “I know.”

The group says their goodbyes to Ienzo along with promises to return, and then make their way back towards the town square.

They don’t talk on their way, thoughts too heavy for idle chatter.

It’s not until they reach the square and Riku has opened the portal, the old familiar form of Soul Eater in his hand once more, that the reality of it truly hits Sora.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" He asks. He knows he's fretting, his friends are incredible, but he can't help it. "Going there without keyblades?"

"We'll be fine." Riku nods, confident. "Soul Eater may not be a true keyblade, but it's no regular sword either, and heartless are no match for Kairi's light."

"Yeah. We've both got all sorts of magic too." Kairi pumps a fist. "They'll never see us coming. Don't worry about us."

They're right, of course they're right, but though he knows this Sora feels overwhelmed by emotion anyway.

“I hate this.” He tries not to let his voice crack. “I just got you back.”

Kairi pulls him in for a hug, and Riku follows soon after.

“It’ll just be for a bit.” She says, and Riku nods.

“You’ll find it in no time. We’ll find Aqua. And then we’ll be together again.”

Sora sniffs, and then collects himself.

“Right. Right. I got this. You guys got this.”

“Damn right.” Riku gives him a smile so soft it makes Sora’s stomach do backflips. He steps back, and Kairi releases him. They step towards the portal.

“I’ll see you soon!” Sora shouts, injecting as much enthusiasm into it as he can. “We’ll be together before you know it!”

“I expect nothing less!” Kairi cheers. Riku gives him a cheesy thumbs up, and then they both step through.

The portal dissolves, and just like that Sora is left alone in the square.

He sighs. Alright Sora, focus.

“How do I get to my gummiship…?”

His was still on Destiny Islands, their group having been transported by the King and his loyal Magician and Guard on their way to other things. The mission for Aqua hadn’t been meant to end like it had. Regardless, Mickey and his subjects were still probably busy looking for clues to Xehanort's plan, and not at Sora’s beck and call, which means he has no ride.

His phone buzzes. He pulls it out.

_Data Riku_ : if I may offer a suggestion?

Sora frowns petulantly. Data Riku had changed his text name back to default again. Apparently he hadn’t liked ‘pagemaster’ either.

_SunshineSora:_ hit me

_Data Riku:_ You left your ship on destiny islands. Haru is still on the islands. He could pick u up

Sora leans back on his heels, thinking about it.

_SunshineSora:_ does he even no how 2 drive???

_Data Riku:_ Did you?

…. Alright he had a point, even if the data boy is definitely laughing at him (he can see your little pixel icon moving, DataRiku! You’re not slick). Gummiships were thankfully pretty intuitive in how they handled, but Sora had also had a squawking duck to yell at him whenever he did something wrong, so it was really up in the air how much that counted.

Still, he doesn’t have any better ideas, and if nothing else he knows his Highwind can handle all manner of abuse (knowledge gained through thorough testing) and even if Haru fails spectacularly as a driver it would still be fine. Probably.

He pulls up a new text window.

_SunshineSora:_ hey haru i ned a favr

The little typing dots go on for a long time.

_grumpy#2:_ Sora istl if you’re going to ambush me jumping out of a bush again I’m going to stab you and it won’t be an accident this time.

_SunshineSora:_ :( no srsly i nede u 2 bring me my ship

_grumpy#2:_ …. Fine but you owe me

_SunshineSora:_ sparkle.gif

-

Riku only needs to take a few steps into the winding trails of the realm of darkness before he realises Kairi has lagged behind. He stops, looking back, curious and a touch worried. She has the same expression from in the lab, worried and a little self deprecating. He’s confused by it.

“Kairi? Is something wrong?” He asks. She rubs at her arm.

“They need the power of waking to move their hearts.” She says.

“Right.” Riku nods, and then only a moment later realises what Kairi had realised long before.

“I don’t have that either Riku. I can’t even learn it, without a Keyblade.” She looks up to meet his eyes. “Naminé doesn’t need more reasons to isolate herself. I need a way to keep her from self-destructing.”

Riku takes a deep breath, thoughts awhirl.

“They said it could still be done, it was just riskier.”

“I don’t like that.” Kairi chews on her lip. “It leaves too much to chance, and too much opportunity for her to self-sabotage herself.”

“.... Is it getting that bad?” Riku asks quietly, stepping closer. Kairi looks up at him with tears in her eyes.

“She doesn’t even watch the outside world like the others do anymore. She’s falling apart, and she keeps trying to tell me that’s what she wants.”

She leans into his chest, and he wraps his arms around her, offering what comfort he can.

“Then I guess we have two missions here then.” He says into her hair. “Find Aqua, help Naminé.”

“I’ve tried everything I can think of. I don’t know what else to do.” Kairi sniffles.

“Then I’ll come up with something this time.” Riku offers. “We’ll figure it out. I promise.”

-

Haru steps out of the gummiship with hands shoved into his pockets, attempting to feign indifference. Sora’s excited greeting throws him out of it almost immediately.

“Haru!” Sora runs up, and Haru shakes his head.

“Yeah yeah, hi Sora. Brought your ship.”

“I saw.” Sora nods approvingly, completely ignoring the sardonic tone of Haru’s greeting. “I like your hair. Did one of my mom’s cut it for you?”

Haru tries very hard not to duck his head in embarrassment, running one hand self consciously across the shaved side of his head, ruffling his new undercut.

“Y-Yeah. Lia did.”

“Smart call.” Sora nods. “She’s always been better with haircuts.”

“Doesn’t Kaze always do your hair?” Haru squints at him, some memory of Riku’s coming to the fore. Sora shrugs.

“I got her hair and she’s the only one who knows how to deal with it. For everyone else Lia-mom is better.” Sora shrugs. “Anyway! You ready for an adventure?”

Sora skips up the loading ramp of the parked ship, and Haru shakes his head.

“You’re just assuming I’m coming with you?”

“Well yeah.” Sora turns back. “What, do you not want to come?” He puts on an exaggerated pout, and Haru sighs. It’s a good thing he expected, and thus had prepared for, exactly this.

“Fine, I’m coming. Where are we headed first?”

-

Their first stop ends up being Twilight Town.

“So why here?” Haru asks as they walk through Tram Common. It’s a lot more busy than it had been last time they were here, people bustling to and fro, signs and decorations adorning every window and shop kiosk. Some kind of festival, or just summer in full swing?

Sora shrugs.

“No reason really. I don’t have any leads where to start regaining the power of waking, and Roxas wanted to visit.”

“Sora!” A voice calls, and the two of them turn their heads to see Olette jogging towards them, waving one arm excitedly.

“Hey!” Sora greets, and Roxas forms beside him.

“Hi Roxas!” She greets him with a smile, and he gives a wave. “You guys got time, or are you on another world saving adventure?”

Roxas makes a hand-waffling gesture. Olette and Sora laugh, and even Haru snorts.

“Yeah, it’s a little bit of both.” Sora rubs the back of his neck. “But the saving thing is kind of on hold, so we thought we’d stop by.”

“Great!” Olette claps her hands together and leans forward, excited. “Pence is over by the new movie area and Hayner is supposed to be joining us soon. Come on!”

She grabs Roxas by the wrist and drags him along, a laughing Sora and Haru not far behind them. Roxas for his part doesn’t put up much of a fight, allowing himself to be pulled behind her with indulgent grace.

Pence and Hayner both cheer when they see the approaching group, and the group of Twilight Town natives all but swarm Roxas, greeting and laughing together as if he were an old friend they hadn’t seen in a while. They get some strange looks from other people filtering into the movie showing area, but no one bothers them. Conservative sensibilities, or perhaps this town simply saw enough strange things that most simply chose to mind their own business.

And maybe they are old friends, Sora considers as he watches Hayner punch Roxas’ palms with a heady laugh from a distance. Maybe that connection, even if it wasn’t remembered, really was just that strong.

Roxas holds his hands up to indicate a pause, doing a couple signs for them hesitantly. Olette and Hayner tip their heads uncomprehending, but Pence lights up.

“That sounds great! We’d love that!” He nods, prompting the other two to look at him. “Oh, right, you guys don’t know sign. Roxas said he has a really special friend of his he wants us to meet.”

“A friend?” Hayner asks. “Like, from that cult you were in?”

Roxas nods, and makes the signs for her name.

“X-I-O-N. Xion?” Pence says the letters as they’re spelled out. Roxas nods, and then makes the shorthand version of her name, a combination of the signs for seashells and remembrance.

Pence makes the signs back, and then walks Hayner and Olette slowly through how to do it themselves.

“Got it.” Pence says. “It’ll be hard to talk since these two dummies don’t know any sign, but we’d still love to meet them, if they want to!”

“Absolutely.” Olette agrees. Hayner nods too.

Roxas turns to Sora, and Sora feels the underlying anxiety rolling off Xion. He gives her a mental push of encouragement, and is pleased when a moment later she forms, giving a small, shy wave to the collected group.

“Hi Xion.” Olette goes first. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Hey.” Hayner goes for deliberately casual. Roxas socks him lightly in the arm. “Ay- watch it man, you’re pointy.”

Sora leaves them to it, content to let them have their fun. He steps back, settling on a bench a few rows behind them, not so far he has to worry about his connection to his heartmates making them fuzz out, but far enough he doesn’t feel like he’s intruding on something personal. Haru comes with him, and for that he’s grateful.

“Any idea where you’re gonna go after this?” Haru asks. Sora sighs.

“Not really. I guess maybe do some world hopping, see what pops out at me.”

Haru snorts.

“That’s such a _you_ plan.”

“Yeah, and?” Sora challenges, pouting. Haru chuckles.

“Nothing. Hasn’t let you down so far.”

“Yeah!” Sora grins, but though his optimism is real he can’t help but remember all the times it _has_ failed him. Failed his friends.

That he can’t be with them even now feels awful.

The movie plays out silently on the far side of the lot as people chatter around them. Sora pretends to watch it, his mind far away and on other things entirely.

-

“I reiterate that this is a bad idea.” Saïx intones, standing placidly at the top of his pillar of stone.

Xehanort frowns down at him, and he averts his eyes.

“Your concerns are noted, but I care not for petty interpersonal squabbles. As long as I have my thirteen, then that is all that matters.”

“You will not have your thirteen if your forces implode upon themselves.” Saïx points out. Xehanort sighs.

“Then keep them apart. We made an agreement, boy. I expect _you_ to deal with these things.”

“Of course.” Saïx bows his head, internally scowling.

It appears regrowing a heart goes much faster when you aren’t actively suppressing it’s growth, he considers as he feels the annoyance move in a slow, lava-like surge in his chest.

He does not act on it however. He needs this.

“And your other potentials?” Saïx asks. Xehanort waves a hand dismissively.

“As expected, unfortunately. Luxord seemed especially displeased with me for some reason. A pity.”

Interesting, Saïx thinks, and shoves that tidbit to the back of his mind for later.

“And Xigbar?” In truth Saïx was surprised the older man had not been here before even himself, but thus far he was nowhere to be found.

“Vanished, which is… curious.” Xehanort admits. “The sigil has not failed me before, which means he has somehow managed to evade it.”

“Hm.” Very curious indeed.

“But,” Xehanort continues. “Let it not be said I do not always have backups.” Saïx glances up at him. This much he knew, but the phrasing of it has him suspecting that Xehanort has a surprise in store.

“The replica’s scavenged from Vexen’s previous research have been a boon.” Xehanort smirks.

“Why not wait until you have an expert in their functions on hand?” Saïx worries, averting his gaze as Xehanort's angry one snaps to him. Saïx decides to change tack. “You have a number of hearts you plan to pull from various points in time. Who have you started with?”

Xehanort waves his hand, and two bursts of light erupt on the other stone pillars. As the light dissipates, the forms of two young boys stand upon them. It appears Xehanort saw no reason to inform Saïx that he had already gone through with his plans. Unsurprising.

The one dressed in white with dark hair waves at Saïx cheerily.

“Hello!” He says. “You’re our travel guide?”

“Eraqus, shh!” The one dressed in black with silver hair and eyes hisses. “The Master is always supposed to speak first.”

“You have nothing to fear from me.” Master Xehanort intones, and Saïx does not miss the bizarrely fond tone his voice takes as he speaks to the boys. “Yes, Saïx will be assisting you in adjusting to this time, and for our eventual battles. I regret that I must ask your part in it.”

“It’s no trouble, Master!” Eraqus smiles. “You say it is necessary for the balance of the worlds, so we will do our part to help too!”

“If I may, Master,” The boy in black speaks up, quiet but firm. “But why us? Surely there must be better options than two boys from a distant past who have not even taken their Marks?”

“Alas, there is not.” Master Xehanort does an excellent feigning of regret. “There are many complicated factors at work, but a degree of... familiarity was necessary for the pieces chosen in this fated encounter. Though you have not your Mastery, I believe in both your abilities to bring it to completion.”

Eraqus beams, unused to such blatant praise. Even the boy in black next to him is pulled in by the promise of a Master’s appreciation.

“Go then.” Xehanort waves his hand, dismissing them. “Make me proud.”

He disappears into a portal, and the two boys turn to Saïx, who suddenly feels very out of his depth.

“Come.” He tells them, determined not to let on how uncertain he feels about this. “Let us begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we see the last gasp of my brain trying to railroad the plot back towards canon-adjacent. by halfway through this chapter i'd started having Ideas and by the time i hit the last scene those ideas were running *wild*. xehanorts plan is still a Thing but everything between here and there? buckle up its gonna be a wild ride ;P
> 
> also if you have any interest in zines i got into the kingdom heals charity zine! check it out maybe if that's your kind of jam :D
> 
> https://twitter.com/khealszine


	4. Throws down in front of us is not bar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steps are made, and journey's are underway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mind the section with riku and kairi. they're staging an intervention for namine, who is very much depressed and suicidal. i tried very hard to treat this sort of subject matter with the respect it deserves, but yknow. i'm only human. if this isn't something you can deal with right now i urge you to skip it (it's the only riku and kairi section in this chapter, so skip as soon as character pov switches to them until the next line break).

Eraqus kicks his feet idly as he stares across the empty wastes of the badlands, a childish habit he knows he ought to break but hasn’t bothered to yet. His Master back home surely will soon enough anyway. He hears someone approach, but he knows those footsteps well and doesn’t turn to check who his new companion is.

“Are you sure about this?” His friend asks, a rare concern in his voice as he sits next to him. Eraqus shrugs.

“He’s a Master who needs our assistance. Do you doubt him?”

“Hm, no.” The boy’s silver head turns, facing parallel to Eraqus’. “I am a little surprised _you’re_ so ready to go along with this. We’re on the side of darkness.”

“Yeah.” Eraqus nods. “It’s a little weird, but if the Master says it is in the name of Balance then I believe him. I’m surprised _you_ are so ready to doubt him, considering-”

The boy huffs a sigh, making his bangs flutter in the wind.

“I am well aware of the circumstances, yes.” He says. “I just… I don’t know. Something seems wrong somehow.”

“Is it his eyes?” Eraqus looks over to his companion, who glances back with his sterling silver gaze.

“It’s part of it.” The boy admits. “And, well…”

Eraqus nods, understanding without needing the words to be spoken.

“It _is_ strange, but I’m sure there are good reasons for a name like that.” Eraqus pats his friend on the shoulder. “And our Master did say that contact with the darkness could have such effects as the hair and eyes changing. He is clearly not a full Darkling, so perhaps it is simply an effect of having fought the darkness so long.”

“You’re probably right.” The other boy gives a soft smile. “I’m worrying over nothing.”

“Hey, I trust your instincts, if you say something’s wrong then I believe you. I merely wish to provide reasonable counterweight.”

“Phhh you sound like a stuffy teacher when you say things like that. Look at you being all wise, and you don’t think you’ll be Master one day.” The boy nudges him, friendly. Eraqus rolls his eyes, continuing to kick his feet.

“Well we know _you_ will be now.” He says teasingly before a frown crosses his face. “I wonder… why _I_ haven’t been brought into this fated battle. The future me.”

“I don’t know.” The silver haired boy admits, not liking this new train of thought. “But did you see how old the Master was? Maybe you just… Died of old age.”

“I guess.” Eraqus tips his head back, contemplative. “I don’t like that thought, leaving you behind like that.”

“Me either.” His friend admits. “I guess that’s not really something we have control over.”

“No.” Eraqus says. “But that just means we’ll have to make the most of what time we do have, right? That hasn’t changed.”

The boy smiles, silver eyes glittering in the sepia tones of the badlands.

“Right.”

-

Saïx is not pacing.

The worn path in the dirt is a filthy liar, obviously.

He turns again, wearing the line down even more, his mind awhirl. He has so many pieces in play, up against masterminds who have been playing this game much longer than he, and more than all that…

He’s distracted.

One source of distraction stands only a few feet away, hood up and features indistinct, but clearly watching as its head turns slightly with him when he moves.

He’d wanted it up and moving, of course, but he didn’t want it to develop a heart like its predecessor had. He knows exactly where Xion’s heart is, and thus he cannot risk losing this replica to the possibility of it growing its own. So he keeps it close, refrains from letting others interact with it if at all possible.

But sometimes the puppet reacts, and every show of emotion concerns Saïx more. They are planning on making more replicas, but the amount of time and investment involved meant each one was still precious, and the one needed for Xion even moreso.

Xion needed a replica with extremely precise specifications, due to the nature of their original construction and the unexpected complications that had arisen from there. Having a partially completed backup already in existence had been a boon Saïx did not expect to receive twice.

So he does not react when the puppet moves on its own, and he does not speak to it. Hearts are formed by connections, he’s learned, and the more he can stunt this one, the easier Xion’s transition later will be.

He sighs.

“The things I do for you, Lea.” He mutters, and his mind is dragged to his other distraction.

He wants to go to Lea.

He wants to go _so_ badly.

His heart had been barely regrown when it had been lost again, and the surprise at being recompleted had been short when Xehanort had approached him.

Or rather, Isa had offered himself up.

Neither Saïx nor Isa were stupid. He knows the predatory gaze of a hunter when he sees one, and he had known that it hadn’t mattered what he said, Xehanort was going to get his puppets one way or another. He’d seen the opportunity presented to him, and he’d taken it.

He could help Xion. He could find the long-missing piece to the mystery of the girl in the cage.

And most important of all, he could keep Lea from being chosen himself.

If Saïx regrets only one thing, it was that he hadn’t been there when Lea woke up. He wonders if Lea worries for him, thinks he hadn’t been reformed like the others had. How cruel of him, to leave Lea in uncertainty like that.

Saïx isn’t sure if that same uncertainty is cruel to himself as well, or a sort of twisted blessing. The longer he waits, the more the weight of his confession leans on him. What would Lea do, knowing Saïx loved him, now that they are on opposite sides of a war?

As always, Lea is both a constant in his life, and an unpredictable wild card.

He wants to know what Lea’s answer might have been, in some other universe. He’s afraid of what it might be now, after what Saïx has done, and will do, to him.

“I deserve this.” He finds himself murmuring. He sighs, and then laughs softly. “Not that that matters. Only one of us gets to live this time. I never should have burdened him with my ill-thought feelings like that.”

He looks down at the silent puppet again. It tilts its chin up to look him in the eye.

“There is a great battle coming.” He tells it. “If the need arises, if Lea refuses.. I may need you to kill me.”

It does not speak. He can only hope the empty thing will do as he commands, and that the memory isn’t imprinted on it for Xion to remember. He knows how these battles for light and dark end. It doesn’t matter who loses, only that _someone_ must, after sufficient energy is created from the clash.

He turns away before he sees the tiny water droplets falling from it’s dark hood.

-

Far away, Xion stands upon her own station, nearly fully formed of its own again, though still side-by-side with Roxas’.

“No.”

She looks up into the endless dark, gaze distant even as her body trembles and her voice shakes.

“I don’t want to.”

“Xion?” Roxas calls, and she snaps out of her trance.

“Huh?” She asks, glancing over to him as he jogs towards her, concerned.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

She reaches up to touch the still falling tears on her cheeks, confused.

“I don’t know.. I just had this sudden feeling- like I might have to do something terrible.”

-

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Kairi asks as they ascend a rocky cliff face. Riku is just ahead of her, and he hefts himself over the lip, turning around to give her a hand up once he’s on top.

“It’s the best I’ve got. Any word?” He asks.

She shakes her head.

“Nothing. I have a bad feeling.”

The look on her face tells Riku the feeling is a whole lot worse than just bad, but he doesn’t mention it, instead making a quick circle around the small open area, surrounded on all sides by cliff.

He starts setting up a barrier, one made of roiling darkness. Kairi hums.

“Shouldn’t I do that?” She asks. He shrugs.

“Light is better at fighting the dark, but it also attracts it. I think it'll be better if we can just convince it we’re not here for a while.”

Kairi nods. That makes sense. This would hopefully be only a short stop after all.

She feels bad about dragging down the search for Aqua, but after several weeks walking down the empty paths in the realm of darkness it had become clear they could no longer wait.

She moves toward the center of the plateau, settling to her knees, trying her best to find some kind of comfortable position.

Riku finishes setting up the barrier and then moves in, settling onto his own knees in front of her.

“You ready?” He asks.

“No.” She answers. “But we’re out of time.”

“Right.” He says, running one hand through his bangs. “Okay.”

He lifts his hand, taking a deep breath, and summons his keyblade.

It had been a surprise, the first time it had happened. Ever since Way To Dawn had broken he had been using Soul Eater, and while not a true keyblade it had at least sufficed in the interim. At one point they had been ambushed by a large swarm of heartless and on instinct Riku’s heart had called for it’s weapon, the need to protect himself and Kairi burning in his chest.

And something had answered.

Braveheart sits heavy in his hand, it’s form long and simple compared to Way to Dawn, steel gray metal glinting up at him. It’s heavy, just like the burden of his heart, but it feels right. He doesn’t know what he might have done to earn such a bastion of power, but the confident hum under his fingertips and in his heart assures him that he had indeed earned it.

Now he calls on its power to help once more, a different manner of protecting than it’s usual use, but no less important.

 _“Good luck.”_ Terra whispers. Riku doesn’t answer, but he appreciates it. He feels Terra form into existence above them, ready to guard them just in case the barrier fell while they were defenceless.

The little pink portal flickers into existence as his eyes slip closed.

Diving is just as he remembers it, falling without weight, circles of memories and feelings all around. There is light pouring from every crevice, which is a little different from most dives he’s done, but the core concept is still the same.

He tries not to peek at the floating memories, attempting to be courteous to Kairi’s privacy, focusing on his mission instead.

Her heart station lies at the bottom, effused in an assortment of pinks. She’s already there waiting for him.

She reaches up a hand as if escorting him down the last few feet and he takes it. His feet touch glass gently, and they exchange relieved smiles. It had worked.

They say nothing though, and after a moment Kairi turns away, leading him towards the edge of her station. He can’t see anything, but Kairi seems focused on a particular point.

“Naminé.” She calls. “Come out. We need to talk.”

Silence.

“Naminé.” Riku calls this time. “We’re worried about you.”

“Leave me alone.”

The words are so tremulous that it makes Riku’s heart twist. He hasn’t heard Naminé sound like that in a very long time. She sounds exhausted.

“No, Naminé.” Kairi shakes her head. “This has gone far enough.”

“What has?” Naminé asks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“This.” Kairi waves her hand. “Isolating yourself.”

“I’m fine.” Naminé says. “Don’t you have more important things to be doing?”

“Naminé.” Riku says this time. “Let us see you while we talk. Please.”

There’s a long silence, and both Riku and Kairi do a great job hiding how impatient they are.

Naminé’s station comes into view, and Kairi can’t help a tiny gasp escaping her lips.

Large cracks filter out from the center of the paopu fruit, growing wider at the edge, significant chunks nearly completely separated from the base.

Kairi remembers Vanitas’ station, nearly healed but still sporting the scarred remnants of his past. It reminds her very much of that.

“Please.” Naminé says quietly. “Just let me be. I was always meant to disappear.”

“No!” Kairi bursts out. “No you aren’t! Why won’t you listen to me?”

Naminé smiles. It looks painfully sad.

“You’re a good person, Kairi. I’ll be proud to be a part of that again.”

“You’d really do that, Naminé?” Riku asks, voice dangerously level. “Just give up everything like that?”

“There’s nothing else for me.”

“Nothing?” Kairi frowns. “You can’t be serious. What about Haru?”

Naminé flinches, casting her gaze aside.

“I’ve only ever hurt him. He deserves better and he’ll get over it, eventually. He probably already has.”

“I guarantee you he hasn’t.” Riku argues, steel in his gaze. “And no, not because of whatever connection we still have. Because you doing this would hurt him irrevocably. That isn’t something you just get over. You don’t want to hurt him? Don’t do this.”

Naminé fidgets with the hem of her dress, the same simple white as the flat of her heart station.

“You promised Sora.” Riku says. “That you would be friends for real.”

“I didn’t.” She shrugs. “Sora did.”

“Even better then. Don’t make him break his promise.” Riku says. Naminé’s eyes water.

“I don’t know how.” She says, voice wavering. “I don’t know _how.”_

“We’ll help.” Kairi crouches, looking across the station at eye level with her. “Please let us help.”

For a moment, she thinks they’re getting through to her.

And then Naminé and her station both vanish, veiled from their sight.

“No!” Kairi shouts, a sense of panic seizing her- like if she doesn’t do something _now_ then the chance will be lost forever. Riku lunges forward in a reckless move he has no idea will work, fueled by desperation. Luckily his feet hit something solid, and guided by feelings more than sight or sound he reaches out, blindly groping for something he hopes with all his heart is there.

His fingers wrap around something, her arm he thinks, and though he can feel her try to pull away he keeps his grip tight.

“Please, stop this!” He begs. “We care about you, Naminé!”

The arm goes limp, and then is followed by the rest of the body as she slowly falls towards the ground, held upright only by Riku’s grip. Her and her station slowly filter back into view as she does, and though her head is bowed and he cannot see her face, he knows she is crying.

He picks her up, and takes her to Kairi’s station. Kairi steps aside, letting them both in, and he makes his way to the center where he kneels, letting her down gently as she makes no attempt to hold herself up. Kairi keeps pace with him every step of the way.

“There’s no point.” Naminé whispers, and Riku almost feels like he wasn’t supposed to hear her.

But he did.

“So what?” He challenges. She glances up, but doesn’t move otherwise. Kairi settles at her head, brushing gentle fingers across her hair. “There doesn’t need to be one. You’re here, we’re here. You will get through this.”

“But this is how it’s supposed to be. It’s better this way.” Naminé says again. Riku regrets every moment he and Haru had left her with DiZ.

“No, it’s not.” Kairi says, turning her head and lying down so she’s face to face with Naminé, though upside down. “You know how I know?”

Naminé meets her eyes at least, and Kairi takes it for the good sign it probably isn’t. She says nothing.

“I know because I would be sad without you at my side. I would be sad, knowing you aren’t able to live and have your own experiences. So would Riku. Sora. Even the King and Donald and Goofy I bet. You have _so_ much to offer the world, Namine, I promise you.” Kairi reaches up to pet Naminé’s hair gently. “And if I can barely comprehend how sad it’d be for me… I can only imagine how heartbroken Haru would be.”

“Is there anything you want to do, or see?” Riku asks, settling at her shoulder. “Anything at all to look forward to. Nothing is too small.”

Naminé bites her lip, quiet for a long moment. The other two wait.

“I want to water a plant.” Naminé finally answers. “I want to water a plant and feel its leaves as they grow and turn towards the sun. I want to show I can make something without hurting it.”

“Okay.” Kairi says. “Okay. There’s a little succulent on my windowsill back home. Remember it? It’s your responsibility now, okay? I’m never watering it again.” It was being taken care of by they parents while they were out adventuring, but the moment they got home that chore transferred back to Kairi... and now Namine.

“... That’s mean.” Naminé pouts, though it’s a timid, half baked thing through her tears.

“If it works then I don’t care.” Kairi answers readily. “All this… I’m scared Naminé. I don’t want to lose you. _None of us_ want to lose you.”

“Why is it so hard to believe that?” Naminé’s lip trembles once more. Kairi’s own eyes run with tears.

“I don’t know.” Riku says. “But I do know how hard it can be. It helps, with friends to support you. I swear. And once we’re all out of here… maybe we can look into getting some proper help.”

Naminé closes her eyes, so very tired, but in the back of her mind…

In the back of her mind she sees that little succulent on Kairi’s windowsill, and holds onto it for dear life.

-

 _“What a goody two shoes.”_ Vanitas snorts as Sora and Haru wander the ruins of Thebes common. Sora rolls his eyes.

“Uh huh, sure Van, you’re such a cool loner badass we know.”

 _“Sora!”_ Ven gasps. _“Where do you learn these things? It wasn’t from me.”_

“Vanitas being a jackass?” Haru asks. Sora shrugs.

“Nah, he’s just playing it up. People like Herc rub him the wrong way.”

“Hm, that doesn’t surprise me.” Haru chuckles. “Not really his type.”

 _“And what is my type?”_ Vanitas asks. _“Genuinely, please tell me.”_

Sora does not ask.

“So, off to the next world I guess. It’s gonna be a while until they can rebuild things here, and we probably wouldn’t be much help.”

“Not really.” Haru agrees. “Besides, you have a mission.”

“Right.” Sora sighs. They board the gummiship, and settle into the waiting seats as the engines rumble to life. The ship swings out into the vastness of gummi space, pointed not anywhere in particular.

Sora hums, and then pulls out his keyblade, releasing a long, slow breath. It had worked the first time after all, right? Letting his heart guide him?

Something tugs at him, and the tips glows ever so slightly. Sora grins and then throws himself back into his seat, and the engine into drive. Haru yelps as the ship lurches forward, but Sora pays him no mind. Haru never had gotten used to Sora’s lackadaisy style of piloting.

It’s a shorter trip than the one from Twilight Town to Olympia had been at least, and the world that looms before them looks verdantly green with a small city and a castle along the harbour.

It’s beautiful, Sora thinks.

“Try, try again, right?” Sora says, grinning over at Haru. “Let’s try here!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those who had to skip the namine section; riku and kairi convince her to keep going, and one of kairi's plants back home is now namine's responsibility.


	5. Our passage to our journey's end for good,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kingdom of Corona (has a few surprises in store)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * throws Tangled Series references in because it's a fun show no one can stop me *
> 
> also i extended the timeline from one day to three, partly bc one day is ridiculous and partly because i wanted the time to flesh things out a bit more.

Sora relates to Rapunzel all too well.

The terrifying freedom of the outside world, the raw, uncontained excitement at experiencing so many new things at once, the fear of losing those closest to you…

Yeah. He gets it. So does Ven, in a wistful sort of way.

The first heartless ambush sends Rapunzel and Flynn scurrying for cover at first, which was fine for Sora and Haru- and then shortly thereafter Roxas and Xion backing him up- but only moments later they return, and Sora is once again met with familiarity at the determination in her expression.

“I want to help too. I can fight.” Rapunzel says, brandishing a frying pan. Sora doesn’t bat an eye at the unconventional weapon, merely grins and falls into battle ready stance. Xion gives the girl a thumbs up, and though Rapunzel is obviously confused by the new addition she still accepts it with a nod.

The heartless aren’t particularly strong here, but like any heartless when they swarm they can still easily overwhelm you if you’re careless, so Sora keeps an eye on their new companions as they fight. Thankfully they hold their own fairly well, and he lets out a breath of relief as the last hearts float up into the air.

“You did great!” Sora cheers, turning to face them. Rapunzel flushes, swaying from side to side with an awkward but pleased smile, while Flynn just grins saucily and starts to boast about his prowess.

He’s handily ignored as Rapunzel moves in to poke curiously at Xion.

“Is this a person? How are they floating?” She asks. “Hello! I’m Rapunzel!”

Xion gives a little wave and signs her name, which Sora translates for her.

“This is Xion. Over there is Roxas.” He gestures to where Roxas still floats. “They are people, they kinda… live in my heart. Just for now. It’s a little complicated.”

“Yeesh, sounds like it. Remind me not to get caught up in any of _your_ adventures.” Flynn pats Rapunzel on the shoulder. “Shall we move on? The lights wait for no one!”

“Right!” Rapunzel grows excited once more, dashing through the grass on bare feet, heading down the path marked with signs for Corona.

She’s so excited about her dream, Sora thinks as he escorts the group through the forest. It’s refreshing, to be so energetic and full of life for something.

He wonders when he stopped feeling that.

He feels like he’s been on this journey forever already, even though he’s barely just begun. He still has no leads on the Power of Waking, and even he can admit to himself that he’s stalling for lack of anything better to do. It’s unlikely escorting Rapunzel to the lights will help him find his power…. But he needs to, somehow.

He needs to see her dream come true, remind himself that it can happen (that maybe it can happen for him too).

They have three days to make it to the city, which is more than enough time for them to stop and see the sights as they go, and they spend the first night beneath the stars.

Sora takes first watch, and it’s not long before everyone is fast asleep… Everyone except Rapunzel.

“I used to chart the stars from my room.” Rapunzel says, making Sora look up from where he’s poking at the campfire. “When I was really little I used to imagine them as tiny, glowing flowers in the sky.”

“I know some star charting too.” Sora says, casting his gaze upwards. The constellations are ever so slightly different here though, which feels very strange in a way that’s both wonderful and hurts a bit. “I grew up on an island, so everyone knew at least a little bit.”

“Really?” Rapunzel leans forward, curious. “What was it like?”

“It was…” Sora pauses, searching for the words. “Small. I never thought of it that way when I was a kid, but after I left… Yeah. It was small. I still love it, I miss my home sometimes, but I think I see now what my friend meant when he…”

“When he-?” Rapunzel prompts as Sora trails off.

“It wasn’t him who said it, but I think it was still what Riku felt, if that makes sense.” Sora says. “He called it a prison, surrounded by water.”

“Oh.” Rapunzel purses her lips, thoughtful. They fall into silence for a bit.

“Hey.” Sora eventually speaks up, trying to lighten the suddenly somber mood. “You said you charted stars, right? Do you know any legends about them?”

“Oh of course!” Rapunzel perks up again. “Which one do you want to know?”

“Any of them really.” Sora shrugs. “I’m not from around here.”

“Right.” Rapunzel says, scanning the lights dotting the sky to jog her memory. “Duh. Well, there’s Kassandra the Swift. She’s a famous mythical huntress who chased a deer made of light.” She points out a series of stars that only just crest the tree line.

“Of light?” Sora leans forward, intrigued. Rapunzel nods.

“It slipped through her fingers, again and again. Along her travels to capture the deer she met a beautiful woman who wouldn’t give her name. Kassandra fell in love with her, but the woman told her it couldn’t be unless Kassandra gave up her quest, crushing her heart, because her whole life had been spent training and preparing to catch the deer.”

“What happened?” Sora asks. Xion forms next to him, chin in her hands, clearly interested.

“Kassandra kept hunting the deer, because she believed it was the only thing that would make her worthy. What she was chasing the deer for varies between interpretations- I had three different books with this story and they all said different things.” Rapunzel shrugs. “Anyway, Kassandra kept hunting the deer, and in her anger and heartbreak… she killed it.”

Xion reels back, silent but clearly gasping in horror. Sora isn’t much better.

“No!” 

“Yes.” Rapunzel nods. “And as the light fled.. in its place was the woman Kassandra had fallen in love with. She fell to her side, grief overtaking her when she realised what she’d done, staying there unmoving until she turned to stone and the body of her love turned to grass and moss, covering Kassandra’s body like a blanket.”

“That’s so sad.” Sora says. Xion waves her arms, clearly asking ‘is that it?’

“Yeah. She’s a pretty popular local God from what I’ve read, protector of lovers and the hurt.”

“Wow. She sounds pretty cool. How about another one?”

“Well, over there is Maximus, that’s a legend about a mighty stallion that could not be tamed and pushed the world into its orbit.” She points up to a cluster just rising over the east. “And of course there’s the sundrop, though that’s more the sun than a regular star.” That one she points almost directly overhead.

“Sundrop?” Sora asks. Rapunzel nods.

“The sundrop flower. It’s an ooooold legend about a flower with magic powers. My mother likes to call me her little flower becau-” She cuts herself off so fast she nearly bites her tongue. “Beeeecause I’m so cute! Like a magic flower!”

Sora completely misses her sudden awkwardness as he just smiles and nods. Xion gives him what can only be described as a flat look, and deep inside, Vanitas drags both hands over his face in frustration. 

“That’s so cool.” Sora says. “I’ve never heard of magic flowers.” Plenty of magic in general, but never specifically flowers.

Xion rolls her head as if rolling her eyes and vanishes back into Sora’s heart, sensing that storytime is over.

Rapunzel nods, and then she leans in, like she’s confiding a secret.

“My mother doesn’t like to talk about it, but sometimes I’ll find things in the books she gets me. I think she knows about it and doesn’t want to tell.”

“Why not?” Sora asks, also leaning in.

“I mean, would you? That’s a pretty big thing to know about, right?” Rapunzel shrugs. Sora nods.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Rapunzel fidgets with her fingers for a moment.

“You’re really easy to talk to, Sora.”

“Thanks.” Sora smiles. “You are too.”

It seems to set Rapunzel’s sudden nerves at ease because it’s not long before she starts yawning and eventually retreats to her tent with a sleepy ‘goodnight’.

Sora pulls out his phone, fiddling with the menus but there isn’t much to do. His moms have already wished him goodnight, and Riku and Kairi…

Well, there’s no service in the Realm of Darkness.

He misses them. He feels like he’s been away from them for much longer than the week or two it actually has been. His heartmates try to comfort, but it’s cold after that short period of joy where he had finally been with _all_ his friends.

He wakes Flynn as the moon crests its peak, and tries to get some rest.

Shenanigans ensue the next day as they always do, the group is split up, Rapunzel and Flynn chased by a crew of guards and a raging dam break, and Sora and Haru end up another direction entirely. It’s not long after that they run into Rapunzel’s mother.

She reminds him of Riku’s parents for some reason, and it leaves a bad taste in his mouth, though he can’t quite put his finger on why.

Riku’s parents weren’t the sort to go searching for their lost son after all.

“It’s because she’s a wolf in sheep's clothing.” Haru snorts when Sora ponders this aloud. “Don’t let that one smell blood.”

“How do you know?” Sora asks. Haru sighs.

“Just trust me. That’s a woman out for her own interests and her own interests only.”

“You don’t think she was actually worried about Rapunzel?” The thought makes Sora sad.

“Maybe.” Haru shrugs. “Can’t know for sure I guess. That’s just the feeling I got.”

“Fair enough.” Sora says as they move on. He appreciates the verdant green of the forest as they go. Even with the heartless scattered around it really is a beautiful place.

It’s still early in the morning yet, the misadventure in the canyon where their group had been separated had been not long after breakfast, so the next hour or so as they walk is peaceful.

“My mom’s want to adopt you, you know.” Sora says conversationally. Haru chokes on his own spit.

“Wh-wh-” He stutters. Sora pays it no mind.

“Yeah. I’ve been texting them, since Chip and Dale got them their own phone. I think they like Data-Me more than me now actually. Anyway, Kaze-mom said you needed a family and I told her you didn’t have a home and I’m pretty sure you’ve been sleeping in the park and-” Sora rambles, cut off as Haru gesticulates wildly.

“Y-you don’t know that!”

“I mean I kind of know that.” Sora returns simply. “It’s a small island, Haru. Someone would have figured out where you were staying if you were actually staying somewhere.”

Haru crosses his arms and grumps.

“C’mon, Haru,” Sora wheedles. “My moms are great and you know it. We could be brothers!”

“Sora, I- wait what’s that?” Haru straightens, gaze fixated at something ahead of them. Sora rolls his eyes, not looking away from Haru.

“No way, I’m not falling for that. Seriously, it’d be awesome, I always wanted a sibling I could hug!”

“No Sora, look.” Haru reaches out to physically turn Sora’s head, making him face forward where in the brush ahead there is clearly the crouched figure of a person in the shadows.

“...Huh.” Sora says, voice warped by Haru’s hand still holding his face. He stands straighter, and Haru releases him. “Hullo there!”

Haru facepalms as Sora calls out cheerily, accentuated by an enthusiastic wave, as if the person with their back turned could see it.

The person stands, and Haru stiffens, taking a step back with a sharp inhale. Sora continues to talk, completely oblivious.

“I’m Sora! We’re on our way to Corona. Are you from around here?”

The man brushes pastel pink hair from his face, regarding Sora and Haru with a mild sort of surprise. He dusts off clinging brush from his white sleeves, stepping out of the bushes and into clearer light.

“Sora.” He greets, voice low and level as he readjusts his striped vest, looking almost too fancy to be rooting around in the dirt. “We’ve met.”

“Oh, have we?” Sora blinks. “Sorry, my memory is a little scrambled in places, I didn’t mean to forget.” He reaches inward, and feels a complicated slew of emotions from Ventus and Vanitas. They’re both speaking at once and Sora can’t quite parse what they’re trying to say.

“I’m sure you didn’t.” The man continues. His gaze falls on Haru. _“You_ seem to remember, however.”

“Yeah.” Haru says stiffly. “What are you doing here, Marluxia?”

“Please, my name is Lauriam.” The man says, giving a shallow nod of his head in greeting. “And my business here, whether you believe it or not, is none of your concern.”

“Yeah, I _don’t_ believe it.” Haru retorts. Sora glances between the two, feeling the tension in the air and still only receiving pieces of the story from his heartmates. He’d heard what happened in Castle Oblivion of course, but connecting all that to what was happening here was taking his brain a minute.

Lauriam shrugs.

“It matters not to me. But it is to my fortune that we have happened upon each other.”

“Yeah?” Haru hasn’t summoned a weapon yet, but it’s clear he’s one false move from doing so. Sora isn’t quite to that point, but the blatant tension has him readying up for a battle as well.

“Yes.” Lauriam says, stepping closer and making Haru tense even further. And then-

He bows, deeply, to Sora.

“Thank you Ventus, for helping my memories return, and reminding me of what is truly important.”

“Wh-” Sora starts, but it’s not Ven who forms between them like Sora expects, but Vanitas.

Lauriam stands, regarding the ghost. Vanitas points at Lauriams chest.

“He’s asking.. What it was you remembered.” Sora interprets. Lauriam somehow grows even more solemn.

“Someone very important to me. What was done in the Castle was unforgivable. Even everything we had lost- our humanity, our memories, everything that ever grounded us except each other.. I am ashamed of it. I am afraid of how that someone will look at me when she finds out what I have done. But I cannot stop in my quest to find her either.”

“Maybe we could help.” Sora offers. “If you really regret what happened, maybe we could help you with that too. I find saying ‘sorry’ is usually a good start!”

 _“I dunno, Sora...”_ Ven murmurs even as Lauriam shakes his head.

“Perhaps some day. For now there is a flower I must find.”

“A flower?” Sora perks up, something pulling the loose connections together in his mind. “Like… A magic flower?”

“Yes.” Lauriam glances at Sora, curious. “You know of it?”

“Well, kind of. Like.. know someone who might know someone who might know about it. I think it’s supposed to be a secret, but if you really need it and ask nicely maybe we could figure something out!”

“Sora!” Haru hisses in his ear. “Are you seriously just going to trust him?”

Sora just smiles.

“I trusted you, didn’t I? Now trust me, okay?”

Haru grits his teeth but lets out a hiss, admitting defeat. He doesn’t like this at all, but he can’t fight Sora there.

“Your friend has a point.” Lauriam says, hand coming to rest on his hip. “You may not remember, but that does not erase past actions. You are far too ready to place your trust in others.”

Sora shrugs.

“Maybe. But it has to start somewhere.”

Vanitas floats close, poking Lauriam in the chest, hard, followed by an emphatic fist gesture.

“Vanitas says if you fuck it up he’ll take you out himself. Vani, no.”

Vanitas makes a flippant gesture that clearly means _‘Vanitas, yes.’_

“Vanitas?” Lauriam questions. “You are.. Not Ventus? How did you know about-”

“He was Ventus.” Sora answers without prompting. “It’s complicated. Xehanort did some stuff and split him in two, so now there’s Ven and Vanitas, even though they both started as Ventus. Vanitas remembers a little bit but that’s all. Ven doesn’t remember anything. Vani said you guys knew each other?”

“Yes.” Lauriam breathes. “A long…. Long time ago, I knew Ventus. My own memories are still somewhat unclear, but they come back more by the day. Stars, Ven, what happened to you?”

Ventus forms next to Vanitas, and though he has no face, it is clear how hopeful he is to know more of a lost and forgotten past beyond what fragments Vanitas had pieced together.

“Why don’t you walk with us, and we can tell each other what we know?”

-

It ends up taking a while.

Partly due to the confusing nature of the tale, Lauriam’s still somewhat scattered memories, and various members butting in to ask questions only to often confuse matters further.

“There used to be lots of keyblade wielders?” Sora asks. “That sounds so weird, I’m so used to being just me, Riku.. The king I guess. And my heartmates, but I’m not sure if they count right now.”

“A whole town does sound like a lot.” Haru agrees. “Enough to fill these.. Unions, you called them?”

“Yes.” Lauriam nods. “Five of them, one for each of the foretellers. We were to protect the light.”

“What I don’t get is how come we’ve never heard of any of this.” Sora hums. “A whole town of keyblade wielders doesn’t just… disappear. Especially with no one remembering it.”

“No.” Lauriam says shortly. “It does not.”

He strides ahead, posture stiff, and Sora glances at Haru, who shrugs.

“Vani?” Sora murmurs, hoping to find some kind of clarification there. Him and Ventus have been very quiet aside from occasional questions, and Sora wonders if Vanitas especially is dealing okay with the sudden influx of things to jog his memory with.

 _“It… It doesn’t make sense.”_ Vanitas sounds like he’s gritting his teeth. _“I remember a- the town all these kids, keyblades and then- a battle. A big one. But people would remember something like that.”_

 _“Yeah.”_ Ventus agrees. _“Master Eraqus never taught us about anything like that. I think the only kind of keyblade battle ever mentioned was the one Master Xehanort was obsessed with.”_

 _“The keyblade war, where the X-blade was made.”_ Vanitas grunts. _“The one he’s still trying to replicate. But that’s ancient history. Where do we fit in?”_

Sora lets them ponder that, not having any answers himself, and jogs to catch up with Lauriam.

“So if you were part of these unions, does that mean you have a keyblade?” He asks, curious. Lauriams expression grows despondent.

“I had one once, yes.” He says quietly. “It has not answered my call since I woke as a nobody. It is not difficult to see why.”

“Uhhhh….” Sora doesn’t know, exactly. He could guess, but he could think of several possibilities really. It seems like a sensitive subject though and he’s not sure how to ask. Lauriam sighs.

“You know the keyblade is an extension of the heart, yes?” He asks. Sora nods. “So when the heart is lost, so too is the blade, though my memories were so scattered then that I did not realise what I was missing. This is what made Roxas exceptional I imagine, as with neither heart nor memories he was still able to summon a keyblade, and thus what made him instrumental to Xemnas’ plan.”

“But you got your heart back.” Sora protests. “Shouldn’t it have come back too?”

“It’s an extension of the heart, Sora.” Lauriam reminds, looking down at the boy. “But also with a will of its own. I lost my way in that castle. It will not return until it has deemed me worthy again.”

“How does Xehanort have a keyblade then?” Haru asks, arms crossed in thought.

 _“Or me.”_ Vanitas murmurs. Sora has the sneaking suspicion he wasn’t supposed to have heard that.

“It’s not a measure of good or evil, moral acumen or what have you.” Lauriam waves a hand dismissively. “It is a measure of the heart. _Your_ heart. Your path. For what do you fight, Sora?”

“Uh.” Sora pauses. He hadn’t really thought about in such stark terms before. “To help people, I guess.”

Lauriam tips his head in acknowledgment.

“Then I suspect if you were to lash out with the intent to hurt, and _only_ the intent to hurt with no motive to help someone else, your keyblade would reject you too.”

“Would it?” Sora feels very strange at the thought. He can’t imagine such a scenario. “Huh.”

He wonders if that would still be true, considering it hadn’t even really been his keyblade to start with. It was supposed to have been Riku’s, once upon a time.

It doesn’t really matter, he supposes.

“So you lost your way.” Haru picks up the conversation. “Can you get it back?”

“Perhaps.” Lauriam shrugs. “But a keyblade is a difficult thing to make reject you, and even more difficult to make return after such an event. It will take more than simply returning to my path; I would need to prove to it that I have atoned for straying, and that I will never do so again. No small feat.”

“... Huh.” The gears click together in Sora’s mind. Haru glances over at him, curious, but he just shakes his head.

It wasn’t his place to talk about how Riku may have gained Way To Dawn before all this after all. Though thinking of that..

“Hey, do you know what happens when a keyblade is broken?” Sora asks. Lauriam raises one elegant eyebrow.

“An impressive feat, one resulting in the death of its wielder usually.” He answers, and Sora feels something terrible seize in his chest at the thought. He consoles himself that Riku had been fine last he saw him, and hadn’t appeared to suffer anything truly terrible after Way to Dawn had broken.

“But only usually, right? Someone could survive it? Could they get a new one after?” Sora presses. Lauriam doesn’t seem quite sure what to make of his sudden intensity.

“I do not know, or if I do, those memories are still clouded. I have never heard of someone surviving such a thing, but I suppose in theory it would be possible for them to attain a new blade.”

“Oh.” Sora sighs. He’d hoped for more.

“It’s starting to get late. The city is not far, but it will be well past dark by the time we arrive.” Lauriam notes. “We should make camp.”

“Yeah.” Haru isn’t really enthused about agreeing with the older man, but the facts were what they were. They set about finding a decent clearing and some firewood.

Lauriam volunteers for morning watch, and retires early. Sora gets the feeling that he’s mostly looking for an excuse to not have to talk about old wounds anymore. He must be exhausted.

“I still don’t like this, Sora.” Haru mutters, hunched over the fire, poking it with a stick.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Sora winces. “I’m sorry I don't remember, either.”

“That part’s not your fault.” Haru tosses the stick into the flames, leaning back on his hands. “But you still know what he did.”

“Yeah, you guys have told me, I just..” Sora chews on his lip, trying to sort his natural empathy into words. “He seems to really regret what happened. I feel like we should give him a second chance.”

“Hn.” Haru grunts. “But to me he has to prove it first. Like with his keyblade.”

“I can’t imagine.” Sora hums, flexing his dominant hand, feeling the warmth of the blade even without being summoned. “To be rejected by your own heart like that. It must be awful.”

“You have to _be_ awful for that to happen.” Haru points out. “He deserves it.”

“I guess.” Sora relents. “Still, I hope someday he can prove himself again.”

Haru looks over at where Lauriams tent sits dark and quiet.

“Maybe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * munches popcorn * in terms of setting things up, i waited a *long* time for this one tbh. i've been really excited for this subplot(s).


	6. But just to ask us who we think we are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A festival and a rescue. How strong is the link between identity and history?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was another one of those chapters that i wrote... and then came back to like five seperate times because i realised i'd forgotten something *really* important. literally even as i was editting this to post i was still adding stuff XD needless to say, a lot of important bits are in this one.

Even strides from one end of the lab and back, arms full of notes and paraphernalia, grumbling all the way. Ienzo has his back turned to him, focusing intensely upon the series of equations scattered across the desk.

“Ungrateful ingrates.” Even growls as he drops his burden across a nearby table, sorting the mess. “All that work into a body and they won’t even take it until there’s more. Morons!”

“Hm.” Ienzo hums. “I understand their hesitation, but surely more hands would help?”

“Absolute poppycock.” Even picks up some papers, peering at them and then setting them aside. “And not even a thank you for our trouble.”

“Things are hectic. Sora did send one later.”

“Hm?” Even pulls his phone out of his pocket, and the notification for an unread message marked three days ago blinks back at him. “Hmph. Still.”

“We’re making good progress.” Ienzo assures. “We will have a second complete very soon.”

“Well of course.” Even sniffs. “We are the best, after all. We need more material, I will return soon.”

Even strides out of the room briskly, leaving Ienzo to continue adjusting his equations. Replica bodies had to be a unique combination of highly stable and incredibly malleable, not to mention having the capability to be adjusted on the fly before settling into a state of permanence. Ideally they would have data from the intended user on hand to prime the body with, but at the moment they only really had that for Roxas and Naminé. Roxas from the Data Twilight Town, and Naminé from the journals. In theory data for Xion _should_ exist, but the research Even had done in creating the puppet was either lost or inaccessible, much to the older man’s dismay.

They were recreating the code from memory, but even with memories as photographic as theirs it was slow going.

Ienzo crosses out a superfluous line of code. Anything to streamline this process could only be helpful at this point.

He hears the clearing of a throat clear as day in the deathly silent air of the lab, and in surprise he whirls around to face the intruder.

“Hello, Zexion.”

-

“No, no, not like that.” Kairi shakes her head as they walk, guiding Riku’s hand through the motion again. “Like this.”

Light coalesces around her, hardening into something sharp and pointed, stylized flowers pluming from the centerpiece on her breast and forming into hardened armour around her.

Riku tries the motion again, and though his own light flares brightly, it doesn’t come together the way Kairi’s does.

“I don’t know Kairi, I think this might just be a You thing.” He says, shaking out his hand as it tingles. Darkness drips from his palms at the excess.

“Maybe.” Kairi shrugs, letting the armour dissipate into motes of light once more. “It _was_ something I learned when I was in Sora’s heart, becoming those projections like Ven and Vani. I guess you just had to be there.” She pokes her tongue out, clearly teasing.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll pass on my turn for an extended stay.” Riku chuckles.

“Why don’t you try using both your dark and your light?” She suggests. “I’m all light, so that’s what I use, but you’re different.”

Riku shakes his head.

“I can use both, but you can’t force them together like that. It’d probably explode in my face.”

“Fair enough.” She shrugs. “Just thought I’d ask.”

“Thanks for trying to help, Kairi.” He ruffles her hair. “I appreciate it.”

“Just returning the favour.” Kairi smiles. “We’re all in this together after all.”

“How’s Naminé doing?” Riku asks, mind drawn to her state at the mention of ‘all’.

“Better. I think. She said something odd the other day though.”

“Oh?”

“She said… ‘It’s all rushing in like wave after wave, overwhelming us. The heart doesn’t forget, but how can the heart remember what never happened?’ When I asked her what that meant she said she wasn’t sure, and she’d answer later when she could make sense of it.”

“Weird. ” Riku hums. “Think it’s related to how she suddenly got so much worse?”

“I don’t know.” Kairi sighs. “Maybe. I’ll keep poking at her, like I always do.”

If nothing else, these long walks in the dark were good for giving them lots of time for that.

“On a lighter note, can I ask you something?” Riku asks, shoving his hands in his pockets. This particular section of dark has been more or less empty of heartless, and they’re taking advantage of the break. Kairi nods. “Why ice, for your sword?”

“Hmm.” Kairi ponders the question. “I guess ‘cause it was the easiest thing to make, when I first started teaching myself magic. Easiest to mold too.” She summons it in hand, as if to show off her work. What had once been a crude sword made of ice chunks is now a sleek, nearly transparent blade woven with intricate designs only visible to close inspection. Riku takes the moment to appreciate the craftsmanship.

“You’ve put a lot of work into it.” He compliments. “Did you make the design yourself?”

“Yup.” She nods. “I thought about studying some sword variants to figure out what type I should use, but once I actually started making it there was an image in my head and I couldn’t get rid of it. I’m finally getting pretty close to finishing it, I think. The only thing missing is the colours.”

“The colours?” He asks, and she raises the rapier to look over the designs ingrained into the handle.

“Yeah. The blade itself is fine, but I always feel like the handle and details should be gold. Not sure how to do that with ice though.”

Riku coughs awkwardly, and Kairi dispels her blade so she can punch him in the shoulders.

“Don’t you even-!”

“I didn’t say anything!”

“You were _thinking_ it!”

Riku lets himself laugh. He wasn’t prone to crude jokes, but even he has his moments of weakness.

“Sorry, sorry. Someone had to, since Sora’s not here to do it.” He tries to allay, though even Sora wasn’t particularly prone to them, but it only serves to remind them that he’s not. Kairi pouts.

“You think he’s doing okay?” She asks. Riku nods.

“I’m sure he’s working hard, whenever he’s not getting distracted saving everyone he meets.”

“Yeah.” Kairi chuckles. “What’ll we do with him?”

“It’s why we l- it’s why we like him.” Riku corrects himself so smoothly Kairi almost misses it. As kids, none of them had been afraid to say they loved each other, just like once Riku hadn’t been afraid to call Kaze ‘mom’. The sudden distance in his words say almost as much as the words themselves, and she can see this pattern for what it is now. Still, she doesn’t call him on it. It’s all a little scary, and she’s not sure if they’re ready for that conversation yet.

“It is.” She agrees instead. “We’ll see him soon.”

-

The group makes it to Corona with only a few major heartless ambushes to keep them on their toes. The whole city is decked in bright colours and celebration, people chatting and laughing excitedly all around. They walk up the still busy streets and see Rapunzel, hair now done in a beautiful braid to keep it up, waving at them excitedly from the square.

“Sora! You made it!” Rapunzel laughs in delight as she spins around the square, music in the air. “Come dance with me!”

Sora laughs with her as he jumps into the fray, excitement and energy filling the space where skill might lie. He’s not terrible by any means, but he never took classes like Riku did. He’s great at following cues though, and is pleased to leave every one of his partners smiling behind him.

Ventus forms at one point, and Sora dances with him too, feeling Ven’s joy as clearly as his own. 

Haru tries to hang back, but Sora manages to tug him in anyway, and despite his reluctance Sora can see the tentative smile creeping out. They laugh and twirl and dance, and as the song comes to an energetic end Sora sees Flynn and Rapunzel come to an abrupt stop in eachothers arms.

It’s sweet and somehow romantic, and he feels his heart yearn.

He turns away.

“Hey, where’s Lauriam?” He asks. Haru shrugs, still panting a little from the dance.

“Dunno. He split as soon as the dancing started. I guess it’s not his thing.”

Sora frowns. Now that won’t do.

It’s getting dark and the groups start to split off, many climbing into boats, holding little stylized lanterns. Sora waves Rapunzel and Eugene off into one such boat, Rapunzel flushed with excitement. Sora and Haru wander the emptying streets, eventually coming to light on the docks, where a familiar figure sits.

Sora goes and sits beside Lauriam without hesitation. Haru rolls his eyes but doesn’t leave, opting to lean against a stone wall nearby rather than sit with them. 

It grows steadily darker, and the air seems heavy with anticipation, the boats on the water all but silent as they wait.

“Do you know what this festival is for?” Lauriam asks suddenly. Sora quirks his head.

“Not really. Something about a baby?”

“It is a festival of dreams, or _a_ dream rather; that the royal family might find their lost princess who was stolen as a child.” Lauriam says, staring up at the stars starting to twinkle to life above them. “They release lanterns into the air in hopes that they may light her way home.”

“You seem to know a lot about this.” Haru says. Lauriam doesn’t look at him, nor react to his vaguely accusatory tone.

“While you were carousing I took the opportunity to learn more. The life of her mother was saved by a magic flower after all.”

“Like the one you’re looking for.” Sora remembers. Lauriam nods.

“It’s a foolish tradition, thinking that something so passive as a festival and some lanterns could possibly work.” Lauriam says, and Haru bristles.

“You’re just assuming they didn’t do everything they could.”

A bright light sparks to life from the castle, followed soon by dozens, and then hundreds of others, moving slowly into the air as the breeze takes them, drifting from the castle and across the city.

The lake lights up too as the people on the boats send up their own lanterns, and soon the air is full of the floating objects, casting everything in a warm golden glow.

It takes Sora’s breath away, and a moment later Lauriam pulls out a lantern of his own, decorated with a series of delicate looking flowers, surprising them both.

“I thought you said it was a foolish tradition.” Haru says, genuinely confused.

“We’re all a little foolish sometimes.” Lauriam answers. He turns to Sora.

“Ventus.. Vanitas. Both of you. Light it for me?” He holds up the dark lantern.

Ven and Vanitas form, and Ven points at himself quizzically. Lauriam gives a barely perceptible shrug.

“Vanitas helped me remember her when I’d lost even her memory. Ven is the other remnant of a person I once knew. I wish the others could be here but.. Maybe in this small way, you can help me with this too.”

A flame alights in Vanitas’ hand with no further prompting, and Ven guides it beneath the lantern, holding it there until Lauriam releases it. He let's the lantern and its delicate golden glow drift away, across the still waters to join the rising wall of light slowly alighting into the sky.

Lauriam takes a deep breath.

“I’ll bring you home, Strel. I promise.”

They watch the lanterns float out into the darkness, and ever so slowly the sky grows dim once more. It’s deep into the night now, as people disembark from their boats and head to their homes, chatting tiredly. Lauriam doesn’t move.

“What was she like?” Sora asks. Lauriam winces. He opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. He looks lost.

“I-I’m sorry.” He says at last. “I don’t think I’m ready to talk about it yet.”

“That’s okay.” Sora allows easily. “What about your other companions? You mentioned them but didn’t really say much actually about them.”

“The others...” Lauriam says softly. “I suppose I’ll start with Ephemera. He was our leader. Kindhearted and determined. Curious to a fault. He- ah. You remind me a little of him, Sora.”

“Really? Me?” Sora points at himself incredulously. “No way, I’m no leader.”

“Perhaps not.” Lauriam says, tone wistful. “But you share a certain air about you, in your readiness to trust, in your friendships.”

Ven leans forward, curious. Vanitas dips pointed legs into the water, pretending he’s not listening but most certainly is. Early morning fog starts to drift across the lake, lending it an eerie and otherworldly feeling.

“Then there was Skuld. She was Ephemera’s friend, even before the unions fell to us, and to hear her tell it she was a terribly awkward girl, but she grew into her role quite well when I knew her. She had a tendency to worry, but her worry always came from a place of care.” Lauriam glances over at his companions. “You and her grew to be quite close if I recall.”

Vanitas stills, fists clenching. Ven droops, wishing he could remember.

“And finally there was Brain. A mastermind, and always some plan on the go. Undeniably charming, always wanting to push for more, to make things better.” Lauriam chuckles. “I was quite fond of him.”

“You talk like they’re not around anymore.” Haru says quietly.

“Maybe, maybe not.” Lauriam says. “Ventus, myself, Elrena… All of us with missing or incomplete memories. There’s no sign of the others at all. The town we came from, all our friends, the lux we gathered… it’s as if none of it ever existed. Nothing in the book suggested-”

Lauriams mouth snaps shut, eyes wide. The others look at him curiously.

“The book.” He says again, revelation in his voice. “There- there was a book, to save the lights after the- that’s right! But what happened? What happened to the book?”

“What is he talking about?” Haru hisses to Sora, who shrugs, bewildered. Ven and Vanitas are both just as confused, but it doesn’t last as a sharp cry rings out over the water.

“Rapunzel!” A shout rings through the empty air, and the sounds of a scuffle soon follow. _“Rapunzel!!”_

Sora jumps to his feet.

“That’s Eugene’s voice!” He says. “Something’s wrong.”

Haru and Lauriam stand as well, and the group runs down the dock, trailing disturbed wisps of fog behind them.

“Please, she’s in trouble, you have to let me go- Rapunzel!” Eugene shouts again, and that’s where they find him, struggling in the midst of a group of armed guards, heedless of their proximity to him, still trying to pull himself back towards the lake.

“We have to help him.” Sora steps forward, held back only by Haru’s firm grasp on his hood.

“Those are clearly some kind of city guard Sora, we can’t bring that kind of attention to ourselves here.” He hisses. Lauriam sighs.

“Is this important?” He asks. Sora nods.

“I don’t know why they want him, but if something happened to Rapunzel we definitely have to help.”

“Very well then.” He says, stepping forward and disappearing into the mist.

“Uh…” Sora blinks, the scent of roses filling the air, and just ahead where Eugene is still struggling against the guards rises half a dozen figures, each a familiarly unstable sort of form.

“Nobodies!” Sora gasps, summoning his keyblade, but is stopped again by Haru.

“Wait, look.”

Each nobody raises it’s scythe, and the guards all take notice, falling still. Then another figure appears, hood obscuring his features, but clothing clearly identifying him to the onlooking Sora.

“Release him.” Lauriam intones. One of the more ballsy guards stands a little straighter.

“He is a wanted criminal, we can’t just-” He stops as a pointed blade is brought inches from his nose.

“I will not ask again.” Lauriam’s voice is low and dangerous. The nobodies move closer.

“Men… stand down.” The guard relents, though he doesn’t move himself. Eugene is released, and he backs away quickly, ducking nervously under the undulating bodies of the nobodies. Lauriam jerks his head back towards where Sora’s group is hidden, and Eugene needs no more prompting, taking off at a run into the mist.

Sora grabs him as he nearly runs past them.

“Sora-” He gasps. “You have to help me, Rapunzel, her mother found her- she’s in danger!”

To his credit, Sora asks no unnecessary questions.

“Where is she? Take us there.”

-

They’re headed for the tower.

Lauriam catches up to them an hour or so later, steadfastly refusing to answer any questions about the nobodies. Sora wonders if it's like the Samurai that had been loyal to Roxas, the ones who had sacrificed themselves to help them towards the Wold That Never Was. Some back part of his mind wonders if Roxas ever thinks about them, but he doesn't have time to really think about it. They have somewhere they need to be right now, and if it weren’t for Eugene Sora would have been tempted to have Haru portal them there, but despite that they make it there in less than half the time it took to get to the city, arriving exhausted in dim morning light. 

There is no light on in the towers single window, and it makes Sora uneasy. The valley is deathly silent. 

Eugene runs up to the base of the tower. 

“Rapunzel? Rapunzel!” He shouts. Silence, and then-

-a horrible, deathly screech pierces their ears, and as if out of nowhere a massive form drops from above. Eugene is separated from the rest of the group, still next to the tower, and the rest of them face off against the massive creature. 

“Heartless!” Sora growls, keyblade appearing in hand.

“We’ll hold it off.” Haru says, summoning his own weapon, a basic sword with little adornment. “Go, Eugene!”

Lauriam hefts his scythe, staring down the malicious tree monster. 

“I will not be stopped here.” He says to it. “Least of all by you.”

And then he lunges. 

The three of them aren’t used to fighting together, and the chaos of battle is sink or swim. Lauriam attacks the beast head-on single mindedly, while Sora and Haru end up fending off it’s minions, keeping them from dragging Eugene down as he climbs the side of the tower. 

The beast screeches and spits irritating pollen at them, though Lauriam seems unfazed by it, slicing through and scattering it with his scythe. He strikes again at the creature, knocking it back and away from the tower. 

It pauses, entrenching itself in the ground for a brief moment, and before Lauriam can get close enough to strike again a number of large, ominous flowers sprout along the ground. 

“What the-“ Sora starts to ask, but before he can finish vines lash out from the protrusions, wrapping around Haru and jerking him away. 

“Haru!” Sora shouts, already running toward him. Haru writhes, blade dropped, grunting as he attempts to break free. 

“Stay back!” He gasps, and Sora has to sidestep nimbly as a second set of vines miss grabbing him by inches. 

Ventus and Vanitas form, Ven grabbing the vines as they attempt to wrench Haru away, holding them in place, and Vanitas brings his keyblade down across them, hoping to break the ethereal bindings.

They don’t even fray though, and Sora and Ven are dragged several feet as the vines try to tug Haru away again. Another set of appendages form, lashing out at them, sending Sora flying. He coughs, spitting dirt, and looks up just in time to see Ven’s form dissipate, stabbed clean through by one of the heartless’ vines.

“Ven!” He gasps. He knows the other will be okay- this isn’t the first time this has happened. He’ll just have to rest for a day or two, but it doesn’t stop the gut wrenching reaction he has at seeing Ven’s body vanish so violently, fear coursing through their connection.

Without anything holding them down the vines holding Haru jerk the struggling boy away, slamming him face first into the rock wall with a far too loud _crunch._

“HARU!” Sora shouts, voice hoarse. He struggles to his feet, leaping for his friend, Vanitas at his side. The vines jerk again, dragging Haru’s now limp body across the ground, towards where Lauriam is still engaged with the large heartless. Out of the corner of his eye Sora can see Eugene is tantalizingly close to the top of the tower. They just need to wrap this up quickly.

Sora feels Vanitas’ rage and knows what’s coming, throwing up a barrier as a wave of fire explodes around them. The impacts collect against his barrier walls, and just as the initial attack fades Sora unleashes the pent up energy in a second wave of flames, reflect scorching the vines and heartless alike.

The heartless screeches, trying to escape the rolling fire, and Haru’s body drops bonelessly to the ground. Lauriam takes advantage of the creature's disorientation to bring his scythe down in a single, solid blow, neatly splitting the monster in half.

He falls to the ground on his feet, flicking pollen and dark remnants off his weapon as the heartless vanishes, its released heart floating silently upwards into the sky.

Sora stumbles over to where Haru still lies limp, Cura on his tongue. Vanitas inspects each of the burnt remnants of the flowers the big heartless had summoned, making certain they aren’t a continued danger.

Green petals float down on Haru but he doesn’t stir. Sora falls to his knees next to the boy, checking desperately for a pulse and only feeling faint relief when he does find one. Haru mumbles something indistinct, but still doesn’t wake.

“Haru- Haru wake up!” Sora pleads. A faint rustle behind him tells him that Lauriam has approached.

“He is likely concussed. Healing magic-”

“Can get weird with concussions, I know.” Sora sighs. “We should get him to some-”

“Eugene!”

A scream cuts him off, and all three of their heads whip towards the tower it had originated from.

“That was Rapunzel!” Sora says, jumping to his feet. “Vani- watch over Haru, I gotta make sure they’re okay!” The top of the tower was probably a bit far for Vani to hold his form reliably, but it could be done, just not for very long.

He doesn’t need to look to know that Lauriam is following him up the tower and feels grateful for it. He doesn’t want a concussed Haru to wake up to Lauriam and attack him by accident. Roxas and Xion are on standby if they need more help, but he’s not sure what they’ll be up against when they arrive.

What they find as they enter the wide window of the tower makes Sora gasp and grind to a jerking, frantic halt.

“More intruders.” Gothel hisses from where she has Rapunzel wrapped in chains. Rapunzel doesn’t appear to have even noticed them at first, still trying to struggle towards Eugene’s fallen body.

Sora can see the blood seeping out onto the wooden floor. He’s already cast cure once and it will be several minutes before he can cast it again. He doesn’t know if he has several minutes, with the way Eugene is gasping on the ground. Their potions were gone too, he hadn’t had a chance to restock during the festival. He looks to Lauriam, who shakes his head with sorrow. He doesn’t know cure at all.

Sora starts to move towards Eugene but Mother Gotherl tsks at him.

“Ah ah ah- don’t move, or..” The knife moves to Rapunzel's neck, and Rapunzel herself goes still in fear.

“You’d… You’d hurt your own daughter?” Sora feels an indescribable anger well inside him at the thought. How could she? What kind of monster did that? Gothel just laughs.

“Maybe. Maybe not. Do you really want to take that chance?”

Rapunzel’s expression hardens.

“... I do. You won’t hurt me. You need me.” She says, turning to face her so-called mother. Gothel’s expression turns dangerous.

“I need your hair.” She hisses. “No one ever said anything about _you.”_

“Rapunzel…” Eugene gasps, even now trying to drag himself towards her. “S-Sora- don’t let her take her- you can’t- she’ll never be free again-”

“Eugene stop- you’ll make it worse!” Rapunzel pleads with him. Gothel huffs.

“Oh please that boy has less than a minute no matter what he does.” Rapunzel jerks on the chains once more, and Sora starts to reach out again before Gothel reminds him who is in charge by brandishing her knife once more. Rapunzel continues to struggle, and Gothel grows annoyed.

“Stop it Rapunzel!” She growls. “We’re leaving so- stop! Fighting! Me!”

“No!” Rapunzel yells, trying to get to Eugene once more. “No, I won’t! Not ever!”

She stills, as though a thought had just occurred to her.

“Unless..” She looks up at Gothel. “Unless you let me heal him. Let me heal him and I’ll go with you. No fighting, no escapes. Ever. I promise.”

“Hm, tempting but…” She looks over to where Sora and Lauriam stand, tense as taught rope. “That does not stop _them.”_

“Please.” She turns her gaze to them, begging. “I can do it, I can heal him. Just- just don’t follow. I’ll be okay.”

“But-” Sora starts.

“Please.” Tears drip down her cheeks, and Sora feels his own eyes well in sympathy and despair. He nods.

Gothel glances between them.

“Fine.” She says, taking the chain from Rapunzel. “Any misstep _will_ be punished.”

Rapunzel doesn’t answer, scrambling over to where Eugene lay, gasping breaths getting shallower by the second. She kneels, pulling his hand to rest on her head.

“No…” His voice is thready and weak. “Don’t… do this..”

“I won’t let you die.” Rapunzel says through her tears, she takes a breath, readying herself to sing and then-

“Rapunzel..” Eugene says. The air is heavy.

“Eug..” Her voice breaks, unable to finish. He tries to smile for her.

“You were my new dream.”

-

The glass shard in Eugene’s hand cuts her hair as easily as silk, and near instantly the edges turn brown, spreading outward almost faster than the eye can trace. Gothel screeches, picking up armfuls of it, and even at a distance Lauriam can see her skin become pale and dusty, wrinkles deepening until she looks gaunt and sickly. She screams again, pulling up her hood as if in pain, curling against herself as she gets smaller and smaller.

She stumbles towards the window, perhaps by accident. Lauriam steps aside.

“Eugene!” Sora is distracted by Rapunzel's sobbing. He doesn’t see Lauriam leave one foot in Gothels way.

Lauriam meets her eyes, wild and furious as she goes out the window, and he sees himself reflected in them. He watches dispassionately as she disintegrates to nothing more than dust.

Good riddance.

He returns his gaze inside, where Sora is leaning over a distraught Rapunzel and Eugene…

Who is very clearly gone.

Lauriam feels his heart drop.

Eugene hadn’t deserved this. Neither of them deserved this.

 _“Flower gleam and glow..”_ Rapunzel’s song is watery, disrupted by hitching sobs, but sing she does. Sora squeezes his eyes shut, close to breaking down himself. Lauriam watches on, pitying her desperation.

_“Let your power shine.”_

He realises he had just lost his biggest lead on the magic flower with Rapunzel’s mother- he was no fool, Sora knew only a few people in this world, and Lauriam can make an educated guess. Though it stings he consoles himself that other leads will be found.

_“Make the clock reverse..”_

He’ll find the flower on his own.

_“Bring back what once was mine.”_

He’ll bring back his sister.

_“What once was mine.”_

He won’t ever let anything stop him again.

-

The sudden, brilliant glow that follows Rapunzel’s sobbing is as unexpected as it is blinding, filling the room with whorling patterns of lights and flowers, tracing around their stunned bodies before converging back on their starting point-

Eugene.

The lights vanish and Eugene coughs weakly, eyes opening just enough to light upon Rapunzel’s face.

“.... Did I ever tell you I have a thing for brunettes?” He asks, making both Rapunzel and Sora laugh with relief as Rapunzel throws herself into his arms, curling tightly into him, relief in every laugh and sob.

Sora looks up towards Lauriam, wanting to share in the joy of the moment, but is stopped by Lauriam’s stunned expression.

Rapunzel sits up, pulling Eugene with her, smiling so wide it must hurt.

“You’re the flower.” Lauriam whispers, prompting the two to glance towards him, curious.

“Huh?” Eugene says. Rapunzel frowns contemplatively.

“I’m… the lost princess.” She says finally. “I realised, when M- Gothel brought me home.”

“The princess who was saved by a magic flower.” Eugene picks up the pieces and slots them neatly into place. Rapunzel nods.

“So… I guess yeah, I am the magic flower, in a way.” She giggles wetly.

“You’re…” Lauriam can barely even whisper it now.

Something about his expression doesn’t sit right with Sora, but he doesn’t figure out why in time. None of them have the opportunity to react as Lauriam grabs Rapunzel, yanking her away even as she struggles and towards a portal Sora hadn’t even seen him open.

“You need to come with me.” Lauriam says, paying no heed to her attempts to pull away. Eugene leaps to his feet with a shout, faster even than the stunned Sora.

“Wait!” Eugene yells, but he’s not fast enough.

Sora leaps at Lauriam, not entirely sure what he’s going to do but knowing in his heart he can’t let Lauriam do this. Lauriam’s weapon forms and he backhands the boy, sending him across the ground and into the wall, breaking several pots on his way.

Lauriam takes a step back, like he’s surprised by his own reaction. Sora sits up, keyblade flashing to life in his hand. Something in Lauriam’s expression breaks.

“I just want my sister back. I can’t let you stop me.” Is all the man says, and then he vanishes through the portal, Rapunzel with him.

“No!” Eugene runs forward, but the portal evaporates into formless wisps, and there’s nowhere to go. “Where did he take her? Sora!”

“I- I don’t know-” Sora stutters. He can feel his heartmates trying to talk to him, but it’s all white noise in his head.

_He’d made the decision to trust Lauriam._

_This was all his fault._

“Sora come on!” Eugene is already headed for the window, but pauses when he sees that Sora isn’t moving.

“I don’t know.” Sora gasps. “They’re gone.”

He falls to his knees.

“We can find her, we just-” Eugene steps closer, trying to rally them, but when he touches Sora’s shoulder he’s not expecting the massive wave of darkness to come pouring off the boy. It shoves him back towards the window, _hard,_ and a moment later-

He’s free falling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * popcorn munching continues *
> 
> remember when i mentioned characters making dumb decisions and fucking up? here we see the first one. im sure this one isnt too much of a surprise to many of you, considering his history, but still. im trying to tread a fine line between 'understandable but misguided' and 'hey lauriam wtf'
> 
> also, so begins haru's repeated head trauma legacy. i didn't actually mean for it to become a running thing, but it kind of ended up that way. sorry haru XD


	7. Insisting always on our own way so.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dealing with what happened, and what continues to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First glimpse of Arrendele, which I’d like to make a bit of a note on before I confuse people later; I changed things up a touch, and incorporated some elements from the snow queen fairytale. Characters are still the same, I just shifted the plot and world building a bit. This is partly bc I had Ideas and I felt this was the best way to implement them, and partly because I just really like the snow queen fairytale what can I say ^^;

“Let me go!” Rapunzel shouts, twisting in Lauriam’s grip, biting and kicking and struggling in every way she can. He grunts as she hits some particularly sensitive bits, but manages to keep upright with her slung over his shoulder.

“Please be silent, these corridors are dangerous.”

“Never!” She writhes all the harder. “You won’t get away with this!”

“I’m not seeking- urk- to ‘get away’ with anything.” Lauriam grunts as a knee comes into contact with his gut. He exits out the other side of the portal, and they both gasp as a blast of frigid air hits them and he steps into a shin deep snowdrift. The area is coated in the white fluff, empty aside some surrounding pine and the shadow of a mountain.

He goes to set her down and then thinks better of it as he sees her bare feet, toes curling in the cold. He moves to what appears to be an abandoned cart, brushing off the top and setting her there instead.

She shivers miserably, curling in on herself. In truth he’s not faring much better, arms wrapping around his chest as he tries to warm up, the thin material of his blouse and vest doing almost nothing against the frigid air.

“I’m not going to hurt you, I just need your power.” He tries to explain.

“Why should I believe you?” Rapunzel accuses. “You just kidnapped me! Just like my mother! Why should I help you after that?”

“Please, I-” He stalls. His fingers flex and the cold seeps into more than just his bones as he realises the implications of what he’s done.

He knew on some level this would be bad. A sacrifice to be made for his end goal. He’s starting to figure out just _how_ bad. He hadn’t been thinking.

“Lauriam!” A voice shouts. “What the fuck are you doing here, I thought we were meeting in- oh.” A blonde woman in a heavy looking coat and winter wear stomps up through the snow, a scowl plastered across her face, only pausing as she sees the extra person on the cart.

“Elrena.” He greets. “I found the flower.”

“That’s not a- actually you know what, I don’t care.” Elrena sighs. “You both look like drowned rats. Come on, there’s a house nearby we can steal from.”

“No.” Rapunzel curls up on the cart. “I’m not going anywhere with him.”

“You’ll freeze.” Lauriam points out. Rapunzel just glares.

“Better than going with a kidnapper.”

Elrena lets out a long, unimpressed groan.

“Is this my punishment? I’d ask what I did but we all know what. _Stars.”_ She stares up at the sky as if waiting for an answer. Lauriam and Rapunzel continue to glare at each other, both shivering.

Elrena marches over to Rapunzel.

“Look shortie-”

“I’m 18.” Rapunzel snaps, and then quietly mumbles, “‘s my birthday.”

Lauriam has the grace to wince at that.

“Good for you.” Elrena dismisses. “I admire the stubbornness, I really do, but I’m not kidding when I say this kind of cold can and will kill you if you wait long enough. This area is absolutely desolate except the house we’re going to. Once we’re there you can beat up Lauri all you like, but only if you come willingly.”

“Now wait a second-” Lauriam starts to protest, but Elrena hushes him.

“You shut up, we’ll be having words later. Well, shortie?”

Rapunzel pouts, still glaring, but considers it. A gust of bitterly cold wind blows right through her light satin dress and she shivers harder.

“Fine.” She bites out. “But _he’s_ not touching me again.”

“More than fine by me.” Elrena smirks, and in one smooth movement hefts Rapunzel into a bridal carry. “Comfy?”

“Um.” Rapunzel doesn’t really know how to answer, especially once the other woman winks down at her.

“Elrena. House.” Lauriam reminds, still shivering himself. Elrena rolls her eyes.

“Fiiiiine. Buzzkill.” She strides off, leading the way, seemingly entirely unburdened by the weight she carries. She looks down at Rapunzel. “He’s not so bad once you get to know him. But he _is_ a giant moron, so I don’t blame you.”

“On that last part at least we can agree.” Rapunzel mutters, ensconced in Elrena’s arms.

“What happened Elrena? It was only just past midsummer here a few days ago.” Lauriam says. Elrena gives a half shrug, though it’s difficult with an entire person in her arms.

“Something happened down by the capital. I was investigating when you showed up.”

“The princess?” He asks.

“Queen now.” Elrena corrects. “I’m betting something went wrong at the ceremony.”

“Why is that?” Lauriam asks.

“When else would it happen?” Elrena laughs.

-

Eugene can’t even yell as he falls, the air knocked from his lungs in the blast.

He instinctively curls up, but he knows this sort of fall is more than likely to kill him. His mind flashes with regret, not the least of which is that-

Rapunzel is gone. Kidnapped. And he’ll never be able to help her.

Something runs into him, and it doesn’t have the hard stopping power he had expected the ground to. Indeed the fact that he’s still alive and breathing at all is something of a surprise. He blinks eyes open that he hadn’t even realised he had closed and sees Haru looking down at him in worry. Had he caught him? Eugene is impressed if that’s the case.

“What happened?” Haru asks. “I’ve never seen Vanitas seize and then vanish like that.”

“I’m fine thanks for asking, also I don’t even know all I know is that Rapunzel’s been kidnapped by mister pink and Sora appears to have been taken over by some kind of demon. Also Gothel’s dead, I also died and got better, but honestly I think we’re way past that at this point.” Eugene is aware he’s rambling but can’t seem to stop himself even as he scrambles out of Haru’s arms, already trying to get back to the tower.

“Lauriam kidnapped- oh stars.” Haru breathes. “Sora’s.. Probably fine. This has happened before, he basically just turns into a big puppy made of darkness.”

“Cool, cool cool cool. Also weird. Have I mentioned weird? Anyways that’s good to know so now I just need to worry about someone I might possibly love and also might maybe be the kingdom's long lost princess being kidnapped by some asshole I don’t even know. Who has disappeared into a _magic portal.”_ Eugene takes a deep breath. “Great.”

“That asshole. I knew it. I _knew_ it.” Haru grumbles, swaying dangerously. “I’m gonna ‘I told you so’ him so hard…”

“Woah hey,” Eugene sets out a hand to steady the swaying boy. “I may have just fallen out a sixty foot window- and somehow lived- but you don’t look so good.”

“Concussion probably.” Haru mumbles. “Gets weird with healing. We should go see Sora.”

“I’m just gonna trust you on the puppy thing I guess, though I’m questioning every inch of my sanity in doing so, but it doesn’t really matter. How do you expect us to get up there? Neither of us are in any shape to be scaling that thing right now.”

“Just go through the door.” Haru says and Eugene looks at him like he’s nuts.

“Oh buddy you must’ve really knocked somethin’ loose. Do you _see_ a door?”

Haru shakes his head, nearly knocking himself over until Eugene reaches out to steady him again.

“No like. There has to be a door. Secret passage. People like that _always_ have backups.”

“Well. You might have a point there. Maybe. Come on, walk with me. Feels like a bad idea to leave you alone right now.” Eugene says, and then they circle the tower's base. It’s not long before they find one section of wall looks hastily constructed, and it takes only some performative poking before the rocks covering the entrance come crumbling down.

They climb the stairs unsteadily, Haru’s arm draped over Eugene’s shoulder, looking glassy-eyed and out of it. The stairway is dark, no windows or lights here, but they make it up with no mishaps until Eugene abruptly bangs his head on the ceiling.

He reaches up, feeling for the latch, eventually finding it in the dark.

Above them, something heavy crashes loudly.

“What was that?” Haru asks.

“I don’t know.” Eugene takes a breath. “Sora?”

“Why would he be smashing things?”

“Time to find out I guess.” And with that he lifts open the trap door.

The room is completely trashed.

“Sora…?” Eugene calls tentatively, peeking out of the hole. “You alright up there, buddy?”

Haru hefts himself up without hesitation, stepping into the room.

“Sor-” He doesn’t get to finish as something heavy pounces on him, knocking him back and making Eugene wince as the poor boy is knocked around some more. Haru gasps as sharp claws rake across his chest.

“Woah- hey stop-!” Eugene shouts, coming up out of the trapdoor, wooden door slamming behind him. The dark form of Sora jerks, distracted by the noise, and then he’s flashing towards the new intruder, claws bared.

Eugene catches him flat across the face with Rapunzel’s frying pan, which had been blessedly left within reach.

Sora skids across the floor, coming to a thudding halt, the shattered remnants of dishes and pots and a balled rug around him. He gets unsteadily to his feet, warped hands raking at the wooden floorboards, leaving little claw marks in their wake.

“‘Like a puppy’ you said!” Eugene snarks angrily. “That’s not a puppy that’s a rabid dog!”

“Sora.” Haru stumbles forward, unsteady and one hand held to his now bleeding chest. He keeps his voice calm and level. “Sora it’s me. It’s okay.”

Sora’s face is impassive, but his irritated, aggressive movements slow just a little. Glowing eyes stay trained on Haru.

“Yeah, that’s right.” Haru keeps going, reaching a hand out. “It’s me. It’s Riku. You know me.”

Eugene glances at him, confused, but says nothing, not wanting to disrupt whatever Haru has planned. Sora reaches one hand up, not far enough to grasp, but gently mimicking Haru’s pose.

“Yeah, that’s right. Kairi’s waiting. Everything’s okay.”

Sora moves in closer, and though he doesn’t nudge against him or playfully try to push him over like he usually did in this state, he does lean in to rest his forehead against Haru’s chest. Haru winces at the pressure against new wounds but he doesn’t let himself draw back.

Haru can feel him trembling, like he’s trying not to cry. He gently pets Sora’s hair.

“I know. I know.” He murmurs. “We’ll get her back. I promise.”

Sora jerks back, stumbling slightly. For a moment Haru reaches out, worried, but then the darkness drains from Sora, wafting away into the air and floor.

“Sora?” Haru asks when Sora doesn’t move, looking pale and stretched thin somehow.

Sora’s eyes move, locking onto Haru, and then falls face first to the floor with a solid thud.

“Sora!” Haru rushes forward, turning the boy over to get a better look at him. Eugene moves in, though he tellingly doesn’t put away his frying pan.

Sora coughs. There’s blood on his teeth.

“You got any potions?” Sora asks, voice thready. “I’m all out.”

-

The gummiship is silent. Neither of them really know where to start. Sora’s keyblade feels heavy in his hands, and he doesn’t really feel like trying for a new destination, though he knows he should. Or maybe not. They’ve both been awake nearly two full days now and they’re both _exhausted._ At length he dismisses it, his heart just isn’t in it right now.

The silence drags on.

“So-” They both speak, and then both halt, awkward.

“Wanna talk about what happened back there, Sora?” Haru asks. Sora shrugs.

Leaving Corona had been hard. They’d managed to convince Eugene to stay by assuring him that they were just splitting up to search for Rapunzel, and Eugene could search more locally. They hope he manages to stay out of trouble, without them there to help.

“No.” Sora says with finality. “You wanna talk about pretending to be Riku?”

Haru winces.

“No.”

“Well then.” Sora takes the wheel of the ship. “Back to the hunt.”

Haru sighs.

“You respond better to them. Riku and Kairi.” Haru finally answers. “It was kind of a guess whether or not it would work but.. You weren’t yourself. Not like the other times. I can’t impersonate Kairi, but Riku...”

Sora leans forward, face hidden from Haru.

“Myself?” Sora murmurs. “Maybe it is.”

“Sora, no.” Haru argues. “I don’t know what happened back there, but we all know you would never hurt someone intentionally.”

Sora sits up, looking at the other boy with tears in his eyes.

“But I did though. I hurt you- it doesn’t matter that I didn’t realise it was you at the time. I almost hurt Eugene. You pretended to be someone you hate being mistaken for because you thought it would _keep_ me from hurting you!” Sora’s breath hitches. “That’s so fucked up.”

“Sora…” Haru doesn’t know what to say. Sora shakes his head.

“I’m sorry, Haru. I’m so, so sorry you thought you had to do that. That you _did_ have to do that. I never wanted to hurt you that way.”

Haru gets up out of his chair, pushes the wheel of the ship back, and kneels in front of Sora.

“Look.. I won’t lie, yeah it sucked.” He starts, taking Sora’s hands in his. “But I’d do it again. Know why?”

Sora knows he should know, but his thoughts are too scattered to put together a sentence.

“Because I care about you.” Haru answers anyway. “Because I know you wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt anyone. Because I knew you wouldn’t want me to let you go on… some kind of rampage when you’re not in control of yourself.”

Sora sniffs, reaching up one shoulder to wipe his tears on a sleeve.

“You’re my friend, Sora. Whatever is going on, we’ll figure it out, okay? And if it makes you feel better, I did have a nasty concussion and wasn’t exactly thinking clearly.”

Sora gives a watery laugh.

“Like you still don’t. Let’s hope we’re not dropped straight into another fight on the next world.”

“Yeah.” Haru gives a weak chuckle. “I’ll be fine.”

-

Eventually Haru shoves him belowdecks to where the sleeping cots are stacked into a corner and tells him to go to bed. They’re both in desperate need of rest, but Haru insists Sora go first, wanting to stay up for a little longer on his own. Sora doesn’t push him, figuring he has his reasons and it’s not really any of Sora’s business anyway.

Sora sits heavily on the side of his cot, rubbing his face and feeling the weight of it all catching up to him.

Can’t help his friends, can’t use the power of waking, can’t find Rapunzel… And now he’s losing control completely. Some hero. At least before he had Donald and Goofy to pick up the slack. Not even his heartmates to make up for his failures now.

He flops over onto the cot and despite his exhaustion he can’t sleep, so he drops instead.

All four of his heartmates surround him as he wakes on his heartstation, most sporting looks of concern. He instantly regrets this decision.

“Dude seriously,” Roxas starts. “What happened?”

“That wasn’t like the other times.” Xion adds. “Before it just got all dark and we couldn’t go out, but we could still see outside. This time…”

“Total blackout.” Vanitas finishes.

“I don’t know.” Sora shrugs. “I don’t remember anything after Lauriam took Rapunzel.” He hunches in on himself as he says it, heart clenching. Ven and Vanitas exchange a look.

He’s lying. Badly at that. They may not have been able to see but they’d still heard his conversation with Haru. Vanitas especially is insulted he’d even try. Still, they let him have it, other things to discuss first.

“No one blames you for what happened.” Ventus kneels, putting an assuring hand on Sora’s shoulder. “We wanted to trust him too.”

“Yeah…” Sora sighs, and then pastes on a smile. “I’ll be okay. I guess I’m just stressed.”

“We’re here for you, Sora.” Ven says, trying to be encouraging. “We’ll help any way we can.”

“Thanks guys.” Sora nods, still smiling. “I really should sleep though. I’m exhausted.”

“It was an eventful day.” Xion agrees, though it’s a sad thing. “Get some rest.” Sora looks to Vanitas, who sighs and then reaches down, placing a hand onto Sora’s head. Moments later the boy is asleep, curled against the top of his station. Ventus sighs.

“He’s been needing help getting to sleep more often lately. What’s he gonna do once we’re gone?” He says, looking troubled. Vanitas shrugs.

“I’m more worried about this antiform thing. He always recognized his friends before, so what changed?” And that didn’t even touch on how Sora had come out of it drawn thin and sickly, as if its use had been drawing on his very life force. That had never happened before either.

“He has been terribly tense lately.” Xion chews on her lip.

“With everything going on I would be too.” Roxas points out.

“Do you think- no. Nevermind.” Ventus shakes his head. The others turn to him and Vanitas rolls his eyes.

“Spit it out.” He says. Ven hunches a little, chewing on his words before he speaks them.

“What if it’s us?”

Vanitas crosses his arms, eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just…” Ven rubs his arms, uncomfortable. “Hearts aren’t _supposed_ to house other hearts, not like how Sora’s been doing. Not for this long. And definitely not for this many. What if all this is a side effect of us being here?”

“Why now then?” Vanitas points out. “If we’ve been hurting him all this time wouldn’t we have seen signs before?”

“Not if it was something that builds, slowly, over time.” Xion says, clearly troubled by the possibility. “And it only started after me and Roxas got here. It could be that doubling the load on his heart made whatever it is go faster.”

“We-” Vanitas' voice is harsh. “We still don’t know. We don’t know that.”

“No.” Roxas admits. “But… It’s possible. Especially since it’s now getting worse.”

“We’re not hurting him!” Vanitas roars, fist reaching out to clench around the front of Roxas’ white shirt, heedless of his pointed zipper pull. “It has to be something else!”

“Then what is it?” Roxas growls back, aggravated. “I don’t see you offering any suggestions!”

The two stare each other down for a moment as Ventus and Xion watch on from the sidelines, tense, and then Vanitas releases Roxas, allowing the boys feet to lay flat against the glass tile once more.

Vanitas turns and storms away, stepping onto his own station and then vanishing along with it.

“Van-” Ven tries to call him back, but he’s already gone.

“I think maybe we should leave him be for a bit.” Xion suggests. “It’s... kind of a scary thought.”

“If it’s true at all.” Roxas huffs. “Didn’t have to get all grabby.”

“No, he didn’t.” Ven sighs. “We can talk to him later. In the meantime… What do we do?”

“I don’t think there’s much we _can_ do.” Xion says. “Even if that is the case.. We’re still stuck here.”

“Best option is we accept Riku’s help and one of us takes the body in Radiant Garden.” Roxas looks like he’s sucked a lemon saying it, but they all know it’s the only recourse right now. “As soon as possible.”

“We’d have to get a hold of Riku first.” Ven can already see the problem though. “No reception in the Realm of Darkness.”

“I’m sure Sora could track him down, he knows where that beach is at least.” Xion says. “But it would take time.”

“Yeah.” Roxas nods. “It might still be faster for him to try and regain the power of waking on his own.”

“So we stay the course, I guess.” Ven groans. “Ugh, I wish I’d known more about this sort of stuff before getting stuck here. Maybe if I’d had that power myself I’d be able to help.”

“It’s still better than nothing. We’re all trying our best, right Xion?” Roxas says, glancing over to Xion, who appears to not have heard him. “Xion?”

“Huh?” She blinks. “Oh. Um. Yeah.”

“You okay?” Roxas turns toward her, worried. “You were spacing out again. Are the memories holding?”

He looks towards her heart station, the one that had cobbled together as the group had worked to restore the scattered memories that had made up her being. It sits still and softly glowing in gray and purple like all the others.

“They’re fine, I’m fine.” She shakes her head. “I don’t know why I can’t seem to stay focused lately. I feel like I’m in two places at once.”

“Like.. Literally?” Roxas asks. Xion nods.

“It’s really weird. But I don’t seem to be able to hold on to much from that other place.”

“More mysteries.” Ven hums. “What do you remember?”

“Sand, I think.” She hums. “Dry, and everywhere. There’s someone there with me, and a deep, deep sadness.”

Roxas furrows his brows.

“That’s all?” He asks. Xion shrugs.

“That’s all. Everything’s so fuzzy.”

“We’ll figure it out.” Ven assures them both, feeling the urge to pull them close and reassure them like the children they are. The older he gets the more he thinks he understands how Terra and Aqua had treated him before, even if it sometimes hadn’t been perfect. “It’ll be okay.”

-

Haru watches Sora descend to the cramped sleeping area below and then quietly portals out of the ship. He has no destination in mind, and doesn't really register the buildings and neon lights and people that bustle about the street outside the alley he pops out in.

He dismisses the portal, sinks against the wall, and lets himself cry.

“I’m not Riku.” He whispers to himself, voice raw. “I’m not. I’m _not.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing elrena is actually great bc she's still an asshole, but now she's an asshole with a conscience. i love her.
> 
> haru has mellowed out a great deal since CoM, but, well. experiances like his aren't something you really just Get Over, yknow? and to those wondering about the whole keyblade/hurting people thing, a certain amount of cognisanse is necessary, which rageform doesn't have, since he's basically lashing out on panicked instinct. it's a loophole, essentially lol


	8. She likes to halt us in our runner tracks,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On to the next crisis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you notice a running theme here, it's that nobody in this story can catch a hecking _break_ (except, ironically, riku and kairi. they're actually having a pretty decent time in the realm of darkness go figure)

Sora rolls over the next morning, picks up his phone and stares blankly at it for a full five seconds before his sleep-fogged brain registers that it hasn’t turned on and that Data Sora hasn’t greeted him yet.

A little strange, but not totally unheard of, but when Sora turns the little device on manually he finds the time much later than when Data Sora would reliably wake him at. And that is _very_ strange.

“Hey, me?” He asks. “You there?”

Silence.

“Hey-” Sora’s voice goes up in pitch in worry, but before he can continue his phone chimes with a text.

_D.Sora: rikus gone_

Sora blinks. Data Riku was the one who typically used text to communicate, Data Sora had always preferred to use the phones tiny speakers instead.

Then the contents of the message hits Sora and he sucks in a panicked breath.

“Wait what do you mean Riku’s gone?!” The phone’s casing creaks under his grip, and he forces himself to lighten up before he accidentally destroys the little device.

_D.Sora: my riku. he s gseine_

Not _his_ Riku then. Still, that's not good, and Sora feels his heartrate speed up with anxiety at the thought of someone else suddenly going missing.

“No…” Sora shakes his head. “He can’t be- where could he have gone? How?” The Data’s were just that- data. Where could the other boy possibly have gone that Data Sora couldn’t find him? Moreover.. _Why?_

_D.Sora: ido nt kwne_

“Hey..” Sora’s voice goes soft. “Please talk to me. I know you’re scared and you have every right to be, but you don’t have to hide. You know I’ve always got a spare shoulder to cry on.”

Data Sora’s avatar pops up on the little screen, and despite being made of ones and zeros it’s clear he’s bawling as loud, broken sobs echo over the speakers.

“H-h-he’s gone! He’s gone, Sora!” He cries. “I don’t- hic- I don’t know what to _do.”_

“It’ll be okay.” Sora tries to reassure. “We’ll figure this out. Was there anything weird around? Have you checked the last place you saw him?”

Sora wasn’t entirely sure how space worked in the datascape, but Data Sora picks up on his meaning well enough, so there must be some kind of translation at work.

“Nothing except…” The avatar holds up what looks like a piece of paper, if a paper could look like it was glitching out at the ends. There’s some scribbled writing and a hastily drawn heart on it. “T-this.”

“A note?” Sora prompts. Data Sora nods miserably, still hitching sobs.

“It just says he’s- he’s sso-sorry.” Data hiccups again. “It’s so rushed he didn’t even finish c-coding it.”

“That’s all?” Sora asks. Data Sora’s sobs pick up in strength again.

“Th-that’s it. W-what if it’s because he got tired of me?” He cries. “Or! Or what if he's hurt and can't reach me?!”

“A note means he might still be okay, right?” Sora says, leaning forward. “It sounds like he might have been forced to leave, and fast. He’d never want to leave you behind, I promise.”

Data Sora wipes his eyes.

“I thought so too b-but-”

“It’s okay. I get it.” Sora gives the little avatar a sad smile. He more than understands these random attacks of self-worth. “Right now let’s focus on where he might have gone.”

“I searched the whole datascape.” Data Sora sags. “Th-there’s nothing there. Just the note. What could steal someone made out of data?”

“I don’t know.” Sora admits. “But I think I know who might.”

-

Sora finds Haru asleep in the pilot's chair and though he hates to wake him the situation needs addressing.

A quick update on what happened and then Sora turns the ship towards Radiant Garden, but when they land and upon entering the castle find the place curiously empty.

“Hello?” Sora calls. A moment and a flurry of movement sounds from what sounds like several rooms away, and seconds later the electronic doors swish open and Sora is confronted with a very upset and wild looking Even.

“You!” The older man shouts. “Where is Ienzo? Have you seen him?”

Sora jerks back, eyes wide.

“No we just got here. Is he missing too?”

Even curses and sweeps off, lab coat fluttering in his wake. A moment later the doors swish open once more, revealing King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy.

“Your Majesty.” Haru blinks in surprise. Sora brightens in relief.

“Donald, Goofy!” He calls and is immediately swept up into a hug by the King’s court.

“Aw Sora, you shoulda told us you’d be here too, we’da brought you something!” Goofy guffaws.

“It’s okay.” Sora says as he hugs them back. “I missed you guys.”

“We missed you too.” Donald pats him on the back.

“What’re you guys doin’ here?” Mickey asks Haru, letting the trio have their moment. Haru frowns.

“You don’t know? Data Riku’s gone missing. Mini-Sora’s been freaking out all morning. We were hoping one of the scientist types might be able to give us a lead, but if Ienzo’s missing…”

“Yeah…” Mickey’s expression grows somber. “We’ve been looking for more clues to Xehanort’s plans, and I’d say this might be a great big one.”

“No proof it’s him.” Haru says. Sora scoffs from where the other three are still clustered together.

“What are the chances it isn’t?”

Mickey tips his head to cede the point.

“We don’t know for sure so we should keep our ears and minds open… but strange happenings like this when we know he’s planning something are very likely to be connected.”

Even bustles into the room again.

“I’ve checked the entire castle a dozen times. He’s left his phone behind, along with incomplete equations. It is not like him and I do not trust it. He must have been abducted.”

“Probably by Xehanort.” Donald scowls. Even’s brows furrow further, grief flitting across his face for a brief moment.

“We must find him.” Even asserts. “I’ve allowed too much to be taken from him because of that man already.”

“We’re on it.” Mickey says. “We were already lookin’ into what Xehanort might be up to, so we can definitely look for Ienzo too.”

“We’ll find him.” Goofy nods.

“I can help too!” Sora says. “The more eyes the better, right?”

“Sora.” Haru takes him gently by the bicep. “You have another mission, remember?”

“Oh.” Sora sags. “Right.”

“I don’t particularly care _who_ finds him.” Even says stiffly. “So long as _someone_ does whilst I am stuck here working on these blasted replica’s.”

“You can count on us!” Donald squawks. Even leaves the room without so much as a goodbye, still obviously flustered.

Mickey turns to Sora.

“We’ll keep an eye out for Data Riku too, as best we can anyway, aha.” He says. “In the meantime why dontcha tell Data Sora to go see Chip and Dale? I’m sure they might be able to help somehow.”

“Oh, good idea.” Sora nods, pulling out his phone. “Did you hear that, me?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna go now.” The program sniffles. “You gonna be okay without me for a bit?”

“Of course!” Sora reassures. “Don’t worry about me. Go find your Riku.”

The image on screen nods and then vanishes in a burst of pixels.

“We oughta get going too.” Mickey says regretfully. “Who knows when Xehanort will make his move after all.”

“Already?” Sora wilts. Goofy pats his arm.

“Gawrsh it’ll be okay. We believe in ya!”

“Always together in our hearts, right?” Donald adds with a wink and a nudge, prompting a smile from Sora.

“Yeah.”

Goofy pulls the boy in for a hug, and Donald squeezes in too. They hold for a long moment before finally releasing.

They wave as they walk out the castle doors, and Sora sighs.

He keeps having to say goodbye to all his friends and family. Again and again and-

Why does it feel like he’s caught in a loop?

“You okay?” Haru asks, sensing the mood.

“Huh?” Sora looks up at him. “I’m fine. Don’t be silly.”

Sora grins and then lopes off toward the exit. Haru frowns but stays silent as he follows him out.

They’ve nearly made it to the gates when two large figures present themselves, drawing Sora and Haru to a surprised halt.

“You’re-” Sora feels his breath quicken but he shoves it down, trying to focus on the differences. “Xaldin!”

The black haired man dips his head.

“Dilan is my given name.” He responds congenially. “Your friend may remember Aeleus?”

Haru nods stiffly.

Aeleus coughs.

“We wanted to.. Apologize.” Dilan says stiffly. “We were involved in a great many wrongs in our time in the organization, and even before then, many of them to you. So. We are sorry.”

Sora doesn’t really know how to feel about that, so he lets it slide by him without examining it too much.

“... Roxas says you once punched him in the face so hard he hit limit break?” Sora says, the statement coming out a question in his confusion. “What's a limit break?”

“Worked, didn’t it?” Aeleus grunts, ignoring Sora’s question.

Roxas gives an internal shrug, so Sora just lets that matter lie too. Haru looks like he’s swallowed a lemon, so Sora takes the lead.

“I guess it’s okay. You’re trying to be better right? And we did sorta kill you. Call it even?”

“Amenable.” Dilan nods. “Aeleus?” He looks over to his companion, who nods.

“We’ll be returning to our posts then. I assume you’ve heard about Ienzo?” Dilan continues.

“Yeah.” Sora says sadly. Dilan sighs, moving up to rest a dark hand on Sora’s tan shoulders.

“Keep an eye out for him would you? Even if you’re not actively searching. We all want him home safely.”

Then the two burly men disappear back into the castle. Sora stares after them numbly.

So many people missing. So many people to help.

And he can’t seem to help any of them.

“Hey Sora,” Haru nudges him gently. “C’mon, let’s go.”

“Right.” Sora gives himself a shake.

No time to dawdle, he supposes.

-

“Block!” Saïx barks, and sighs irritably as the puppet sits absolutely still until the last possible moment, dodging out of the way with inches to spare.

“Why are you-” He bites his tongue. No. No. There’s no point in getting angry. His frustration is getting the better of him.

The perils of allowing his heart to regrow, he presumes.

He stalks forward, taking t ~~heir~~ its hands and setting them in position once more.

“Like this.” He says. “Dodging is useful but you _must_ be able to block in the coming battles.”

He releases its hands, only to see them return to a simple standing position as he does. He curses internally but doesn’t let it show. This was the choice he made when he decided to ensure the body would be empty for Xion’s return after all. It wasn’t the puppet’s fault.

“Again.” He turns, bringing his claymore to bear. “Block!”

It dodges.

He lets out a single roar of frustration and slams his weapon into the ground, detritus flying upwards from the impact. He breathes heavily.

How was he supposed to do this?

Oh Lea, he can’t do this.

That old familiar burning feeling wells in his chest, and he can feel the moon rising at his back. He needs to burn off some energy.

“Stay there.” He grunts to the puppet before moving off to an open area, far enough away he doesn’t need to worry about it getting caught in the crosshairs.

Blue flames lick across his shoulders as he let’s go, letting loose his iron wrought control and swinging his weapon forward in a wide arc he lets it propel him forward. He slams the weapon down, relishing in the shocks it sends up his arms as he goes, points digging into the earth with abandon.

It’s exhilarating.

With Xehanort, and previously Xemnas, at his heels it was never certain whether his berserk compulsions were his own or if he was pushed into it by them. But in these moments far away from anyone, far away from any purpose they might have…. He finds a certain peace in it. A relinquishing of all his fears and worries and stress into the mindless destruction that no one would ever notice in these endless wastes.

He takes his stress over his plans, over enacting Xehanort's plans, and crushes boulders with it.

He takes his loneliness, his worry for Lea, and lets loose wide shockwaves of blue fire with them.

He takes his frustration over the puppet, his fear that all he has planned and sacrificed will mean nothing, and wrecks havoc across the landscape.

He doesn’t know how long he spends crushing every boulder in the area to near dust, but it’s long enough that the sun has set entirely and the moon is high in the sky. His limbs feel loose and weak, and he knows he’s pushed himself far too hard, but he feels better now, and he will take that small comfort. He walks- wobbles really- back towards where the puppet still stands in the distance.

It’s only as he gets close that he notices it's weapon has changed, and he freezes.

It looks back impassively, unreacting, the claymore in its hand nearly larger than it is.

The weapon is very nearly exactly like his, he notes, aside being a much darker shade of blue-gray. Had that happened with the Keyblade when Xion had copied it from Roxas? He hadn’t made note of it if it had, and he can’t remember now to be sure.

It lifts the hand holding the claymore, and he recognizes his own ready position.

“You… were made to be a copy, I suppose.” He doesn’t know how to feel about this. He doesn’t know how this affects his plans, but… “This will do. A berserker does not block, after all.”

He guides t ~~hem~~ it through the motions, the feelings, what it takes to be a berserker. The back of his mind yells, knowing this is a terrible idea, giving a tool driven by feeling to something that isn’t supposed to feel at all, but he doesn’t stop. Even if it just goes through the motions that will be good enough, he thinks.

Still, he is unsurprised when blue fire rises from its body, and when wide shockwaves sprout across the ground when the claymore is brought down.

The moon drifts across the sky.

The puppet returns to him, claymore held loosely in one hand, breathing heavily. He reaches out a steadying hand as the body before him sways slightly. The hidden face turns upwards, and though he cannot see it… He feels as though he is being looked at by a small child asking if they did well.

“Yes, it’s exhausting. You must be cautious when using it in battle, but until then we will work on your endurance.” He says.

The puppet smiles. Saïx feels his already regrowing heart clench.

He sits as gracefully as he can, cross legged on the ground. The puppet follows him, mimicking his posture.

“I fear I am making a mistake.” He says quietly. “You were to be a vessel for a friend, or rather.. The friend of a friend. But I think I am failing.”

The hooded head tilts just slightly.

“It’s not your fault.” He’s not sure why he feels compelled to reassure them. _Because they’re a child,_ some part of his mind whispers. “But this means I have put you in an unconscionable position in the battles to come.”

“A…. Friend?”

Saïx starts, not expecting the puppet to speak. He swallows, throat dry.

“Yes. Lea. Axel.” He answers. “My… very best friend, even if he may never deign to call me so again.”

The puppet stares, still and silent, and he feels compelled to keep talking into the open and empty air of the badlands.

“You… hurt him.” The puppet whispers. Saïx winces.

“Yes.” He answers just as softly. “I did not intend to. I thought that moment we parted was to be my last. I didn’t consider what a burden I was leaving him with.”

He chuckles ruefully.

“And now here we are, where one of us will surely perish in the battles to come. What a fool, I.”

“He misses you.” The puppet says, and then falls silent. Saïx’s gaze snaps towards them as he registers what he’s just heard.

“What?” He asks, voice rough. They don't react, and he leans forward. “What did you say?”

Silence.

“What did you say?!” He shouts, and the puppet doesn’t even flinch.

Saïx leans back, eyes wide.

How could the puppet know that?

_And what did that mean?_

Whatever moment of lucidity had taken it had passed however, Saïx would find no more answers in the once more unresponsive doll. He presses a clenched fist to the front of his mouth, mind whirling with too many things to count.

Was the puppet siphoning memories like Xion had?

Was Xion somehow connected to the puppet?

Was he helping or hurting by maintaining this emotional distance?

And most of all…

_Lea misses him._

Stars, that little piece of information was both a balm and ache all at once. Lea _misses_ him.

And by all that was holy, Isa misses him too.

Which just makes it all the more painful that he has to stay away.

Xehanort knows about their connection, of course he does, it was what had been used as leverage to get Isa to join him. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was Lea himself. Saïx knows that if he were to reveal himself to Lea the other man would never let him go, and too much of Saïx’s plan hinges on him being in the true organization. Xion’s body (though he hopes he isn’t watching that plan fall apart before his eyes), his search for the girl in the cage, and above all- Lea’s survival.

Saïx knows what he’s doing by making sure that he is the one pitted against Lea in the days to come. He knows the kind of unbearable hurt he’s placing on Lea’s shoulders, and knows he deserves no forgiveness for it.

But if he is to ensure Lea lives, someone has to die.

Saïx would rather it be him.

Even if he is lucky enough to reform a second time, and he doesn’t expect to be, he won’t expect forgiveness. He can’t.

He looks up at the waning gibbous moon and sighs.

“I’m sorry, Lea.” He says.

He knows it means nothing. It will still mean nothing when he says it again to the man's face.

How terrible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: i love the data boys!  
> also me: im gonna straight up break data sora's heart :)
> 
> you ever think about how canon!saix was 100% ready to die to make amends knowing he might still be seen as the villain regardless of what he had done to save them? because i do. a lot.


	9. And make us get down in a foot of snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Checking in on Rapunzel, and skimming through a couple worlds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like people are struggling with the somewhat darker tone of the last few chapters. sorry about that, this whole part is a lot heavier in general just due to, well, stuff. the next couple chapters aren't quite so dire at least?

The house is... cozy.

Rapunzel probably would have adored it’s rustic homeliness were it not for her current situation and the building wind howling outside. Rapunzel didn’t have a whole lot of experience with snow, between being stuck in her tower and the fact that Corona was a southern kingdom, the most she’d ever seen it was a few days every year when she got to stick her hand out her window and let a few flakes of snow fall into her palm.

Obviously here, wherever here was, was very different.

The temperature drops again as the wind outside picks up once more, whiting out the view in the small, perfunctory windows, and Elrena grumbles as she tosses more logs onto the fireplace. Rapunzel shivers from where she sits perched on the back of an old, well worn couch. Lauriam has settled on a wooden stool on the far side of the room after Rapunzel had made it clear he wasn’t to be anywhere near her, and Elrena stands, moving about the cabin as needed.

“Well at least we know whatisface won’t be coming home tonight.” She says with a scoff. “Nobody’s moving through this storm.”

On instinct, Rapunzel's eyes move to the tiny framed pictures lining the mantle. A blond man and some kind of… deer? She thinks it’s a deer anyway, adorning the shelf.

She shivers, feeling like an intruder at the same time that she feels trapped. It’s not a good feeling.

Lauriam glances at her, a mournful look crossing his face.

“Look, Rapunzel-”

“Don’t talk to me.” Rapunzel says sharply, turning away from him. Lauriam looks at Elrena with an expression that a lesser person might have described as ‘pleading’. Elrena for her part just gives him a raised eyebrow and a gesture that clearly says ‘fix your own problems, buddy’.

“Rapunzel-” He tries again, and Rapunzel explodes.

“I said don’t talk to me!” She shouts. “How hard is that to understand? Though I guess it must be, since you kidnapped me right after my own _mother_ kidnapped me for your own gains, robbing me of my dream, someone I love, the family I thought I’d never know and now probably never will, and trapping me in this awful wasteland because- what? Because my mother was right. There _are_ awful people out there! And _you’re one of them.”_

Lauriam looks away.

“I’m sorry.”

Rapunzel wants to keep yelling, to shout until she’s hoarse, but her throat closes up as tears well in her eyes, and with nowhere to go in the tiny, one-room house she grabs the blanket on the couch and wraps herself in it completely, encasing herself in darkness as she sobs.

“Nice going, jackass.” She hears Elrena say, followed by the familiar sound of a hand connecting with something- probably a shoulder, if Rapunzel had to guess. Lauriam sighs.

Slowly her sobbing slows, and she finds herself drifting in and out of a light doze. Her head hurts from her crying, but she doesn’t have the energy to go looking for water right now. The night drags on.

Elrena yawns.

“You’re tired.” Lauriam says. “We should rest while we wait out the storm. You take the bed, I’ll tend the fire.”

“Oh fuck off.” Elrena snorts. “You look like shit. Did you forget to pack potions again?”

Silence.

“Oh my lights you did, didn’t you? Take your vest off, let’s see how bad it is.”

“I don’t see you offering any potions.” Lauriam grumbles, and there’s a rustle of fabric indicating him complying with her demand.

“It’s not like they’d be useful by now anyway, and I wasn’t planning on fighting anything so I was travelling light. Wasn’t expecting you to drop in all torn up to shreds. What did you fight, an ogre?”

“Near enough.” Lauriam admits. “It was very intent on stopping anyone from ascending the Tower.”

“You know I don’t know what that means you cryptic bastard.” Elrena says flatly, and Lauriam hisses as they tend his wounds.

“I met Sora again.” Lauriam says, and judging by the way the silence hangs in the air Rapunzel guesses that must mean something. “He.. invited me with him.”

“Wow.” Elrena hums. “Trusting little brat.”

“He doesn’t remember our last encounter, though his companions, and Ventus, do.”

“Huh.” Elrena punctuates this with something, which makes Lauriam hiss. “And they didn’t warn him?”

“They did. He decided to trust me anyway.”

 _And look what happened,_ Rapunzel thinks bitterly. Judging by the long silence she’s not the only one aware of it.

“To make a long story that in truth I do not know all of short,” Lauriam continues, “We ran to the rescue of Sora’s friend who had been abducted by her mother. Her mother’s rage and greed had spawned a high grade heartless, and we fought it as the young man, Eugene I believe his name was, ascended the tower where she was being held.”

Her mother had made such a monster? She remembers hearing the shouting and fighting, unable to do anything wrapped in chains and bound, but she hadn’t known what was going on.

Her moment of relief at seeing Eugene climb in the window had quickly been overtaken by fear, and then despair as her mother _(not her mother, she’d never loved her)_ had casually murdered him.

Gods, she hopes Eugene is okay. Her healing spell had worked, but after her hair being cut and then being taken away again so quickly… She worries.

“Didn’t call your buddies?” Elrena asks.

“No. I’d called upon them earlier, but I did not want to risk friendly fire when they are yet untested. I was immune to it’s pollen effects and had the fight well in hand for the most part.”

“Oh is that what you call this?” Elrena says. Rapunzel hears the slap of skin on skin, and Lauriam yelps.

“Would you stop that?” It’s the first real show of emotion she thinks she’s heard from him, and it almost sounds like he’s pouting.

“I’ll stop when you stop being a stars forsaken idiot.” Elrena snarls. “Seriously, we get our hearts back, realise how bad we fucked up, and _this_ is what you do?”

“I panicked.” His voice is low, quiet. “I couldn’t risk her saying no, once I realised what she was. She might be the only chance I have at bringing my sister back.”

“So you’re just going to keep making the same mistakes, over and over again?” Elrena’s voice is hard, but not entirely without pity. “Literally even, all we need to do is paint the walls white.”

“I.. know.” Lauriam sighs, sounding frustrated with himself. Good, Rapunzel thinks vindictively.

They lapse into quiet, and the fire continues to crackle far too merrily in the hearth. Rapunzel’s mind starts to drift as sleep slowly begins to take her.

“So it really was Ventus?” Elrena asks, something in her voice that Rapunzel can’t place. “I was always on the outside looking in with you union leaders, I’m not sure if I ever even properly met him.”

“It was. Xehanort… did something terrible to him. Split him in two.”

“Well isn’t that fucked up.”

“I remembered something, while I was there.” Lauriam murmurs. Rapunzel barely catches it, half asleep as she is. “A book. _The_ book.”

“The book of prophecies.” Elrena’s voice has the tinge of sudden realization.

“Mh. I don’t know how I could forget. It was the reason we survived the war, after all.”

“Okay. Do we remember where it is though?”

“No, that part… still escapes me. I remember Brain having it the most.”

“Well.” Elrena sighs, sounding tired. “We’ll keep working at it I guess. We’ll find them.”

Rapunzel doesn’t know if Lauriam answers as she drifts fully off to sleep.

-

She wakes to a chill in the air and the eerie sound of wind whistling across the roof.

She peeks out of the blanket and sees Lauriam and Elrena both fast asleep, Lauriam on the bed and wrapped in a surprising amount of bandages, and Elrena next to it on a stool, draped half on and half off the sheets.

Neither move as Rapunzel extracts herself from her self imposed blanket prison, rearranging it to look like she’s still under it with some well placed pillows and stuffing, and she takes stock of her surroundings.

There’s someone’s spare jacket and boots by the door. She creeps over silently, utilizing well-worn skills from living with Gothel all her life, pulling on the jacket first. It’s so big on her it’s nearly a dress, but as she ties a bit of scavenged rope around the middle in an impromptu belt she decides that’s all the better really. She doesn’t see any pants she can take and chances are they wouldn’t fit her anyway so she doesn’t bother looking too hard.

The boots are a no-go however, being much too large to be useful. They’re too likely to slip off even just walking, let alone if she has to run. She casts her eyes around again and-

Elrena had taken off her boots sometime during the night.

They don’t look quite as warm and fluffy as the ones by the door do, but they seem at least closer to the right size. She kneels quietly, keeping an eye on the two sleeping kidnappers, and tugs them on.

They’re still a little big, and her feet probably won’t feel good later, but she’s sure it will be better than walking barefoot through the snow.

First step accomplished. Now she just has to get out without them noticing. They both seem dead asleep, but she knows once she opens the door they’re certain to notice the temperature drop.

Her gaze goes to the fireplace, where only the barest coals remain, cold and dark.

She moves over to it and peers up the hole. It’s a tight fit, but she thinks she can make it if she drops the coat.

Thinking quickly she takes it off and ties the coat up into the rope, attaching it to her waist so it dangles behind her. It won’t be clean after this, but as long as it still keeps her warm that’s all that matters. She takes a deep breath… and starts to climb.

She comes out the top after a tense fifteen minutes of stopping and starting and being as quiet as possible. The wind blows a snowdrift right into her face as she exits the hole leaving her blinking owlishly as she brushes it from her cheeks.

The wind is still blowing and the snow still falls but it’s not as deadly as it had been the previous evening. She can still see the trees surrounding the little house at least, and notices another building off to the side- some kind of barn, she thinks? She climbs onto the roof, picking up the coat from its tether and stepping softly, hopping down to the ground with only a mild ‘oof’ on her part.

Rapunzel glances to and fro, waiting for her captors to notice. When they don’t appear she sets her gaze on the tree line and takes off running.

No one will ever hold her against her will again.

-

“Verum Rex.”

Sora stares up at the tall poster board for the video game. It’s title character lounges with weapons in hand, deliberately casual and yet emitting an aura of power.

“He looks so cooooool~” Sora bounces on the soles of his feet excitedly.

 _“He looks like Riku.”_ Roxas snorts. Ven laughs.

_“He totally does!”_

“What, no way.” Sora argues, then tilts his head. “Well, maybe a little. Hey Haru, do you think he looks like Riku?”

Haru gives him a flat look and then jumps up to the display shelf, grabbing one of the display game cases and hopping back down with it. The world magic had been kind enough not to give Haru Yozora’s outfit like it had Sora, but the silver hair and general structure were still undoubtedly similar. Haru raises an eyebrow at him.

“Well I mean-” Sora stutters. “I wasn’t gonna say it.”

Haru laughs.

“Yknow, I actually appreciate that. Still. He totally looks like Riku. Weird, huh?”

“Form up, men!” Buzz Lightyear calls. “We’re on a mission.”

“Right.” Sora nods. Haru sets the box against the display case and follows after him. “Gotta find Rex.”

“Oh, have you lost your toys? How irresponsible.” A voice, low and darkly amused sounds. The group whips their heads around, searching for the source, eventually finding it far above on a shelf.

“You were in the sleeping worlds.” Sora realises, and the Young Master Xehanort smirks. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, nothing really. Our fates are all but set in stone, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun between here and there, hm?”

“Our fate is what we make it.” Sora refutes with the shake of his head. “Otherwise- what’s the point?”

Young Xehanort ponders that, long fingers tapping against his knee idly.

“What indeed.” He says slowly. “Do you make the same choices even knowing what fate they will bring? Or will you deliberately defy the course laid out for you, attempt to change it?”

“You talk like you know for sure what’s gonna happen.” Woody steps into the conversation. “And that’s not how it works.”

“Oh?” Young Xehanort laughs. “And how do you know, little toy?”

“I don’t.” Woody shakes his head. “But I have my friends, and I have faith in them. I daresay that’s been good enough so far.”

Sora is just starting to feel his spirits lift when Xehanort snorts in response.

“An admirable sentiment, but I’ve seen what happens when both those things fail. What happens, little toy? Do you know? Because I do.”

“.... And what is that?” Haru asks, both not wanting to know and curious despite himself. Xehanort shakes his head.

“Now where’s the fun in that?” He smirks. “I need to find what joy I can in this endless quest of yours. Though perhaps we shall see. I’ve wondered for so long, how many will it take, Sora?”

“Wh… What are you talking about?” Sora has a terrible, sinking feeling.

“Hm, nothing that means anything to you I suppose.” He stands, brushing the dust off his coat. “Goodbye Sora. I’d wish you luck, but…”

He vanishes into a portal.

“What was that about?” Buzz demands. “Was he friend or foe?”

“Foe.” Haru says. “And a cryptic one at that. You okay Sora?”

Sora’s still staring up at where Xehanort had vanished, a distant expression on his face.

“Sora?” Haru asks again, and Sora blinks, coming back to himself.

“Huh? What’s up?”

“Don’t let him get to you.” Haru tries to comfort him. “He’s just trying to get under your skin by being obtuse.”

“Yeah…” Sora smiles, but it’s painfully transparent.

“And hey, all else fails you’ve got your heartmates right?” Haru tries to lighten the mood, though it’s just as forced as Sora’s smile.

Sora goes with it, poking his tongue out at his friend, and the group moves back to their original mission now that the distraction has passed.

Sora pauses when they’ve all turned away, glancing back up towards where Xehanort had stood.

Two things were forefront in his thoughts.

What _would_ happen to him when he didn’t have his heartmates any more? How much of his heart was tied up in theirs?

And

What did Xehanort mean by ‘how many would it take’?

-

Rapunzel shivers violently despite her stolen coat and boots.

Her legs are numb, having no true covering aside her dress and overlong coat, and her toes and cheeks feel sharp and brittle as she trudges through the snow. Even breathing too quickly or through her mouth stabs sharply at her lungs, but breathing through her nose is no less uncomfortable.

The wind howls around her, rising and falling in intensity, but never less cold for it. She doesn’t know where she’s going, mostly following the path of least resistance, causing her to have to double back often as the path ends in a sheer cliff face.

She bites back a sob as the path ends once more and she turns around. She misses the grass, home, and most of all she misses Eugene.

She trudges onward until-

A voice?

Rapunzel perks up, trying to listen through the wind. She’s stopped shivering now, and is quietly relieved. In fact she barely feels cold at all now, though everything feels stiff and difficult to move.

“Sssomeone’s singing.” She murmurs through numb lips. She turns toward the noise, shuffling towards it, hope and exhaustion at war in her heart.

Something catches on her boot- a tree root beneath the snow- and she trips, falling face first into the white drifts. She lays there, curling up as the tiredness sinks into her bones.

She’s kind of warm actually, and it’s nice after the last however long of constant cold. Her eyes drift closed. A quick nap, she thinks, and then she’ll go find that voice….

“Are you okay? Hey! Don’t fall asleep!”

She can’t summon the energy to comply as she drifts off.

-

Sora loves the caribbean. More than that, he loves being a pirate.

And having his own, for real ship? It’s a dream come true. Sure the Organization was around and the British were causing trouble, but that was par for the course really.

And honestly, it was worth it to see DiZ trip over himself both figuratively and literally trying to direct a ship. A mean part of Sora (and several of his heartmates) had taken a perverse sort of joy in taunting him as they’d swept past the heartless covered ship in a resounding victory.

There was a war on the horizon, Davy Jones and the British and whatever’s going on with Jack, but they have a few days until the Rally, and Sora decides to make the best of it.

His heartmates and Haru seem to be thoroughly enjoying shipfaring too, learning the ropes and rigging that come with piloting a ship this large. Sora knew the basic precepts of course, but this was a different style ship than what would usually be found on the islands, and they all listen carefully as Captain Jack teaches them how it’s done.

Even Haru gets into it, which if he’s being honest Sora hadn’t been expecting. Riku knew seafaring as any island kid did, but his knowledge sprang more from his need to escape than from any true joy of it. Or maybe Sora’s joy is infectious, bringing an energy to the decks that seems to move outward.

It’s wonderful, it’s exciting, it’s-

Lonely.

The ship drifts along, the moon high above and most of its inhabitants quiet in sleep, including those in Sora’s heart, exhausted from spending most of the day taking joy in their new roles as pirates. He stands at the helm, one hand on the wheel, looking across the dark horizon and trying not to think about the things he’s missing.

“It’s intimidating, isn’t it?” Jack’s voice sounds, and Sora turns to see the man stepping up onto the upper deck with him. Sora shrugs.

“Not really intimidating, just…” He doesn’t know how to put it into words. “Riku and Kairi should be here with me.”

“Ah, guilt.” Jack nods knowingly. “A cruel liar. Best ditch that one before it gets ye in trouble, eh?”

“We promised we’d sail the ocean together.” Sora says. “I’m starting to think we never will.”

Jack makes a few consecutive faces at that, discomfort, envy, indecision, and finally landing on sympathy.

“There’s plenty of life before ye still, lad. I wouldn’t give up hope just yet.”

Sora doesn’t answer that. He wants it to be true, and lets himself imagine them by his side, dressed as pirates and grinning with equal joy to his own. Kairi had been here with him once before at least, but without Riku to complete them he doesn't feel like it counted. They were _all_ supposed to be there.

A portal opens and Sora is jerked from his thoughts in surprise. A figure steps out, shaking his wild red hair from his hood.

“Lea!” Sora grins, and mentally pokes at Roxas and Xion. Both form moments later, swarming the man as he steps onto the deck.

“I see you have company and so I shall leave you to it.” Jack gracefully takes his leave. Sora pouts.

“Aw don’t go.” He entreats, but Jack merely waves an expressive hand.

“No, no, I do believe I would only be in the way here. Have fun, chillun’s.” and then he vanishes belowdecks.

Meanwhile Roxas is signing something furiously at Lea, who sighs.

“I know, I know.” Lea says. “I had some stuff I needed to do.”

Xion makes the signs for moon and scar and it’s clear who she means.

“Yeah.” Lea admits. “I was looking for Isa.”

“Isn’t he…” Sora starts. He doesn’t remember what happened despite having been present, but Riku had told him later. He can only imagine what it must be like, seeing someone you love on the enemy side like that.

“Yes.” Lea answers, a little brusque. He drags one hand down his face and sighs. “Yes, I know. I thought maybe- if I could find him before Xehanort… or maybe I could figure out why. Bring him home. Something.”

Xion signs something, but Lea tilts his head, not comprehending. Sora squints, not really understanding either.

“Save you?” Sora translates literally. “Puppet, cage, lost? Xion you’re not making sense.”

Xion tries again, but she’s fading at the edges now, and her movements are erratic. Finally she just repeats a single sign over and over.

Love love love love

And then she freezes, like a broken computer, before vanishing into wisps of smoke.

Roxas turns towards Sora, clearly panicked. Sora raises his hands.

“She’s okay I can feel her, she’s just sleeping.” Sora tries to console. Roxas’ fists clench and unclench. Sora can't blame him, though he can feel her presence her sudden dissapearance filled them both with worry.

“You’re sure?” Lea leans forward, concern in his features. The tired bags under his eyes stand out despite the low light of the moon.

“Y-yeah.” Sora answers. “She’s been really spacey lately, and she did spend most of the day out. Maybe she just needs more rest.”

“Let’s hope so.” Lea murmurs, leaning back. “Dammit. I finally get to see you guys and…”

Roxas reaches out, patting his shoulder awkwardly. Lea chuckles.

“I’ll be fine. You kids need to stay in top shape after all.”

Ven forms next to Roxas, having been woken by the commotion, arms crossed. Lea laughs.

“No excuse for you, you gotta stay up like the rest of us adults.” Lea teases.

Sora laughs with them. It’s a relief.

Roxas asks if Lea is going to be staying, and Lea shakes his head.

“Not long. I need to find Isa before… I need to find him. More than ever. Got a keyblade to get used to, too.” He summons it, does a little twirl, and then desummons it as if to prove his point. “I’ll try and stop by more often though. You guys _are_ my best friends, it’s just, well, I know you’re safe here and Isa’s not, yknow? Still, I didn’t mean to be away so long.”

Roxas makes it very clear that he had better come back soon. Lea just reaches out and ruffles the top of his helmet like he would his hair- and probably had many a time before, Sora realises. Roxas reacts as any flustered teenager would, batting the arm away but obviously still pleased by the attention.

It’s nice seeing them goof off like this, Sora thinks, even if it was overlaid with the worry over whatever might be happening with Xion.

It’s nice, though he feels a little like he’s on the outside looking in. He steps back to the wheel of the ship, discreetly, to let them have their time to catch up. His gaze focuses back on that distant horizon, the one that reminds him of so much, promises and heartbreak alike.

He thinks of Jack’s words, and tries to remind himself that maybe someday he could bring Riku and Kairi here too.

Someday, he hopes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and here i sprinkle some foreshadowing, for flavour
> 
> also do not emulate rapunzel here, she's only doing it because she feels like she has *no* other choice. getting stuck in a chimney is a very real danger and they are not to be fucked with irl.


	10. Debating what to do without an ax.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arrendelle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> time to throw some island kids into hellwinter. as a born canadian, i do not envy them.

Rapunzel wakes feeling surprisingly comfortable to the sound of a fire nearby.

She sits up, the blankets wrapped tightly around her only hindering her slightly as she looks around the room she’s found herself in. She’s lying on a mound of furs and there’s indeed a fire crackling merrily in a fireplace made of… ice?

In fact, everything seems made of ice here. She reaches out, touching a fingertip to the floor outside the mound of furs and finds that it is made of ice too, though it doesn’t radiate cold with the same intensity that normal ice does. She looks back at the fireplace, defying all logic, and then decides not to think about it.

“Oh, you’re awake.” A surprised, feminine voice speaks, drawing Rapunzel’s gaze to the doorway, where a young woman with white hair roughly her own age stands holding a small platter with a bowl on it.

“Where am I?” Rapunzel asks, pulling the blanket back up across her shoulders, belatedly realising that she’s still shivering despite the warmth encasing her.

“My… Castle, I guess.” The stranger answers. “I found you outside, near frozen. I wasn’t sure if I could help considering- I mean. I didn’t have time to bring you down to the town, so I made do here.”

Rapunzel tilts her head, teeth chattering, not quite recovered yet. It all seems very evasive to her.

“Oh, here.” The woman sets the platter down- also made of ice. There’s a steaming bowl of soup on top. “Eat this, it’ll help. You’re still recovering from hypothermia.”

“How does it work?” Rapunzel asks as she accepts the bowl gratefully. “Why doesn’t it melt?”

“Magic.” Is the simple answer, accompanied by a shrug. “Sorry, my name is Elsa.”

She doesn’t offer a handshake, but Rapunzel assumes that’s just because she’s got a bowl of soup in her lap.

“Rapunzel.” She answers around a mouthful of soup. “Thank you for saving me.”

“What were you doing out there?” Elsa asks. “You weren’t dressed for this storm at all. Or anything really- a coat but no pants, no gloves, boots that weren’t lined… You’re lucky you probably aren’t going to lose any fingers or toes.”

“That can _happen?”_ Rapunzel gasps. Her mother had told her of such things of course, but when so many of her mother's lies had come to light, she’d assumed that was one of them. Elsa gives her a strange look.

“You must not be from around here.” Elsa notes. Rapnzel shakes her head.

“I’m not even really sure where here is.” Rapunzel admits, curling tighter into the blankets. The bowl is already nearly empty, though she barely remembers eating it. Apparently she’d been hungry. “Someone kidnapped me and took me through a- a magic _portal_ if you can believe it.” Her voice wavers, the enormity of what that means hitting her all at once. Just how far is she from home?

Elsa stills.

“It’s not.. The strangest thing I’ve ever heard of.” She says carefully. “You’re safe here though, I promise. I’ll try my best to get you home.”

“How though?” Rapunzel asks. “We don’t even know how to get there.”

Elsa bites her lip.

“I might have a way… I’m not sure if it will work, though.”

“Show me?” Rapunzel asks as she sets the bowl aside, and Elsa nods, taking her hand and leading her from the room. Rapunzel takes one of the fur blankets with her, keeping it wrapped around her shoulders. Despite the icy floors the cold doesn’t burn or slip against Rapunzel’s bare feet. She wonders how it works once more.

They ascend the castle, climbing high into one of it’s towers, and Rapunzel pushes down the spike of anxiety that realization causes. She wants to trust that this isn’t a trap. She has to.

Finally, they emerge into a wide room with only a single adornment, a tall object covered in fabric in the very center.

Elsa moves forward, something hesitant in her posture, grabbing the tarp and pulling it down.

“A mirror?” Rapunzel asks, and Elsa nods. It’s taller than both women, nearly double their height in fact, and very clearly shattered.

“It has magic, the ability to enhance someone’s powers. As you can see,” Elsa gestures. “It’s broken, so it can only do a little, but maybe if I try hard enough, I can still send you home.”

“That sounds dangerous.” Rapunzel looks Elsa in the eyes, making the other woman blush and look away.

“Maybe.” Elsa shrugs. “But it’s our only lead.”

Elsa reaches up, and Rapunzel stops her.

“Wait.” She says. “I- I might be able to fix it.”

-

Sora and Haru emerge onto the new world and both nearly instantly curl in on themselves as the cold hits them like a brick wall.

“World magic couldn’t g-give us a c-coat?” Sora chatters. Haru has both arms wrapped around himself tightly, jaw clenched so hard Sora thinks he might actually crack something. Haru may not have grown up on the islands, but Riku certainly had. Neither of them were suited to this kind of cold.

“I don’t know.” He says shortly, and then jerks his head off to one side. “Town.”

Sora looks over in the direction Haru indicated, and sees the sprawl of buildings indicating a large town at the very least. Maybe a small city. Not too far, thankfully, though it will probably feel very far indeed by the time they actually get there.

They trudge through the snow, often sinking well past the tops of their shoes and in one section up to their hips. Their toes are numb within minutes and Sora can feel bits of ice forming in his soles.

Ven and Roxas form, trying their best to help them through the snow, but it’s agonizingly slow going, ill-equipped as they are. By the time they reach the somewhat-cleared streets, they’re both coated and in the stuff and miserable.

They stop on a bench to pull off shoes and shake out the shards that had formed, peeling off snow and ice and wincing at the already forming blisters. Ven pats his head and then vanishes along with Roxas. There isn’t a whole lot they can do here.

“Oh my gosh what happened to you guys?”

Sora and Haru look up, finding a young woman approaching them rapidly, followed at a short distance by a solidly built man of roughly similar age.

“Ah-” Sora opens his mouth, but he’s chattering too hard to speak. He pulls his shoe back on- it’s still wet and freezing, but better than leaving his feet out in the wind. Maybe. He _thinks_.

“Good lord, okay, come with me there should be- ah! Shop right over there. Kristoff, help me move them!”

The man, Kristoff apparently, leans over to pull Haru up while the woman tugs Sora’s arm over one shoulder.

“Aren’t we on a mission, Anna?” Kristoff asks. “We can’t be stopping every five minutes to help some dunderheads who weren’t smart enough to stay inside. Or dress properly.”

“S’ not our fault-t-t.” Sora argues. “Kinda got d-d-dropped here.”

“The snow did hit really suddenly.” Anna nods, translating Sora’s meaning to something else likely. “It won’t take long, let's just get them inside.”

She says this as they swing the door to the shop open, and Sora has never breathed a heavier sigh of relief as he did encountering the warmth of the indoors.

“Sure it hit suddenly, but it’s still fall, even if it’s early. You guys look dressed for spring.” Kristoff grumps, but he still sets Haru down gently on a stool despite his gruffness. “You don’t even have proper coats.”

“Got stranded.” Haru grunts. “Nothin’ with us.”

It was a partial truth, at best. They certainly didn’t have anything with them to protect from this kind of cold.

Anna comes trundling back with a stack of items, and Sora belatedly realises this is some kind of clothing shop, albeit a small one. Anna tosses the pile at him and then goes back to look for more.

“Oh, uh,” Sora blinks, holding up the furred coat that was on top of the pile. “Thank you?”

“Well I could hardly let you go back out there like that.” Anna tsks, and then hands a note to the shop proprietor. “Here, thanks so much.”

“Woah, no you don’t have to pay for us, we have munny-” Sora protests, grateful for the world order always shifting their munny to the local currency, even if it meant he was never quite sure how much things were actually worth. Anna just shakes her head.

“It’s fine, trust me. I have more money than I know what to do with.” She dismisses. “You guys gonna be okay?”

“I think so.” Haru says, finally managing to unclench his jaw from cold spasms. “Thank you. What was it you were saying about a mission?”

“Yeah!” Sora nods. “Maybe we could help!”

“Well,” Anna starts. Kristoff pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Really Anna?”

“Maybe they _can_ help!” She protests.

“We found them freezing in the street, obviously not from here. How could they possibly help?”

Anna screws up her face, and then turns to their spectators.

“Can you fight?” She asks. Surprised, Sora nods. “Good. See, they can help us with those monsters.”

“That doesn’t mean they can fight _well_.” Kristoff points out. Haru sighs, distracting them from their argument.

“Why don’t you let us tag along for a little bit, and then you’ll see what we can do. If we don’t measure up then we part ways, we’ll be fine now that we have more proper attire.”

“See.” Anna grins up at Kristoff, smug. “They can help us.”

Kristoff huffs, but leans back, accepting her judgement. He looks down at Haru in particular for some reason.

“Don’t make us regret this.” He grunts, and then stalks off.

“Jeez, kinda grumpy isn’t he?” Sora notes as he sticks his wet shoes into inventory, pulling on much warmer fur lined boots and revelling in how soft they are.

“Don’t judge him too harshly.” Anna sighs. “This whole business with my sister has us both on edge.” 

“Your sister?” Haru prompts. Anna fiddles with her fingers.

“Yes. My sister has always been… distant, but recently during the coronation- I’m sure you heard about that- well, things went wrong. She ran away, and after that this huge cold fell and now me and Kristoff are going to find her and make sure she’s okay.”

“This snow does seem pretty serious.” Haru agrees, and Anna shakes her head.

“It’s not the cold I’m worried about.” She says. “Kristoff may not be her biggest fan but he still doesn’t want her to hurt herself like this.”

“Why wouldn’t he like her?” Sora asks as he pulls on his new gloves. He’s not sure how well they’ll work while handling the keyblade, but if not he can always ditch them afterwards he supposes.

“Oof, that’s a long story.” Anna makes a face. “The short version is me and her were basically isolated in the castle for… moooost of our lives. She doesn’t even know me and Kristoff are friends actually, because I wasn’t supposed to leave and I was always too scared to tell her.”

This sort of story is starting to sound weirdly familiar to Sora, being trapped in a place and wanting to escape it. Riku, Rapunzel, Anna… His heartmates too, in one form or another. Was it really so common to be trapped by one’s own home?

“I wonder why.” Haru murmurs. Anna shrugs.

“I don’t know. What I do know is she’s still my sister and I still love her, so I need to make sure she’s okay up on that mountain.”

“Well, count us in then.” Sora gives her his best confident smile. “We want to help too.”

-

Rapunzel isn’t entirely sure how her powers work now that her hair has been cut. She knows her tears healed Eugene and in theory that should work the same, but she isn’t exactly certain and she doesn’t know how to make herself cry on command anyway.

All of which she explains to a wide eyed Elsa.

“I know it sounds crazy.” Rapunzel rubs her arms self consciously. “And I don’t know if I should even be telling you this after the last… everything, but if I could somehow manage to call on my powers, I think I could fix your mirror.”

“That… would mean more to me than words can describe.” Elsa breathes. “My…”

She hesitates, prompting Rapunzel to reach out in empathy. Elsa puts on a smile that’s both grateful and a little forced. She stands, walking to stand before the broken mirror.

“My mother gave me this mirror. Passed it on to me, as her mother did to her. It’s been in my family for countless generations.” She traces a hand over its frame gently. “When I was little… I broke it.”

Rapunzel stands, wanting nothing more than to hug the sadness and regret away. Elsa takes a deep breath.

“I have magic too.” Elsa admits in a rush. “I can control ice and snow. My mother was supposed to teach me, but she died before she could, and ever since I’ve been walking on this tightrope trying to figure out how to rule a kingdom without letting anyone near me and accidentally hurting someone.”

The mirror glows ominously.

“You wouldn’t hurt anyone.” Rapunzel tries to assure, but Elsa just shakes her head, angry.

“I did. I have.”

Rapunzel takes Elsa’s hands, glancing at the mirror’s now fading glow as she goes, and leads her away, sitting down so they face each other. She can feel Elsa’s heart rate slow back to normal. The mirror goes back to being dim and lifeless.

“I hurt my sister, when we were little. I was so upset, and then not long after that my parents died. That’s when I broke the mirror, and the mirror… did something.”

“What did it do?”

“It lost most of its power, but it also stole her memories. She doesn’t remember my powers, or.. A lot of things, actually. Sometimes I would try to tell her and it was like I was talking to a wall, she couldn’t hear me or see me…”

“That sounds lonely.” Rapunzel rubs her thumbs across Elsa’s hands. The woman sniffs.

“I kept her in the castle with me because I was afraid- what if I wasn’t the only thing she’d forgotten? What if she kept forgetting more? Anything could happen to her out there when I didn’t know what the mirror had done to her. I wanted to try and fix it, but I could never figure out how.”

Rapunzel purses her lips.

“You can’t keep her trapped forever.”

“I know.” Elsa’s eyes well with tears. “I know. I’ve been a terrible sister. But I couldn’t let people close to me so they could take care of her and I couldn’t bear to send her away… You shouldn’t be here either. I’m _dangerous.”_

“No, don’t say that.” Rapunzel says, fire in her eyes. “You made some mistakes, but that doesn’t make you terrible, or dangerous. I promise.”

“I can’t believe that.” Elsa looks to the ground. “Not after the coronation. Not after plunging the whole kingdom into an early winter. I can’t be near people.”

“Hey.” Rapunzel leans forward, making Elsa meet her eyes. “I promised you that you are not terrible, and I mean it. You’re trying right? That means something.”

“I wish I could believe that.” Elsa sighs, pulling away. “You.. keep working on your thing. I need a minute.”

And with that she sweeps from the room, Rapunzel looking on in concern, tugging the blanket over her shoulders a little closer.

-

Fighting heartless isn’t a new thing for Sora at this point. Fighting in hip deep snow is, though.

He’d seen a little bit of it on the mountains in Mulan’s world, but this was a whole other thing entirely, His movements are slowed by snow and his heavy coverings, but on the up side so are the Heartless'... mostly. Shadows still skim across the top of the snow like they have no weight at all, making them much more annoying than usual.

Still, it’s nothing him and his companions can’t handle as they make their way up the mountain.

...It’s still exhausting though.

Him and Haru are both breathing hard by the time they’re half way, between the fighting and the thin air, and Anna isn’t doing much better, despite on and off riding Sven, Kristoff’s reindeer. Kristoff gracefully calls for a break.

“Well you weren’t lying.” He says as he pulls a water pouch from Sven’s bag. “You do know how to fight. Kinda out of shape though.”

“I am-” Sora gasps, still bent double. “In plenty good shape!”

“This happened at Mulan’s-” Haru cuts himself off, panting, glancing at Kristoff. “On that other mountain too.”

“Yeah, if you’re not used to the elevation it can mess with you.” Kristoff hands them each some water, which they take gratefully. “I’ll keep an eye out for mountain sickness.”

“Mountain sickness?” Sora says, managing to stand straight. Kristoff shrugs.

“Yeah. Some people can’t handle the change very well. Tell me if you start getting dizzy, we don’t want you falling off a cliff.”

Haru and Sora exchange a glance.

“Will do.” Sora assures. 

“Are we getting close at least?” Haru asks, and Anna nods, pointing at something peeking out beyond the crest of the mountain.

“That wasn’t there before, so I’d bet anything that’s where she is.”

“What makes you say that?” Sora asks, but Anna doesn’t answer, humming happily as she moves over to pet Sven’s nose. Sora tilts his head, confused, and Kristoff coughs.

“Look, uh.. It’s a thing. Sometimes she just kinda zones out when it comes to her sister.”

“Why?” Haru asks. Kristoff shrugs.

“Dunno. It’s always been like this. I think it has something to do with Elsa’s magic.”

“Her magic? What happened?” Sora asks.

“You didn’t hear?” Kristoff seems surprised. “The coronation went wrong and she summoned a bunch of ice and spikes- then panicked and ran off. Right after that the snow started falling. Anna doesn’t remember any of it, she just remembers Elsa running.”

“Oh.” Sora says, and he knows Roxas and Xion both feel the pain of her loss, even if she herself doesn’t know it. “That’s.. Sad.”

“Yeah, well.” Kristoff shrugs. “Maybe this whole thing will finally clear it up, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Come on, let’s keep going.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some gentle twisting of the frozen plot to suit my needs, plus some memory problems for Reasons. also sidenote that i've been having some pretty severe anxiety again, so if i miss replying to you *please* know its not personal, i read and adore all my reviews, they really brighten my days. i probably just got overwhelmed and forgot.


	11. And yet she knows obstruction is in vain:

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa panics, this has consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * aggressive tapping at the Nightmares tag *
> 
> also ayyyyyyy this series is a year old as of a few days ago! happy birthday to my baby!

Rapunzel has no idea what she’s doing.

“Come oooonnnnn.” She groans, tapping her forehead against the frame of the mirror repeatedly. “Just one little tear, just one.”

If anything she thinks her eyes get dryer.

She’s repeated the song more times than she can count at this point, and still nothing. Was it powered by emotion? That would not be ideal, under the circumstances.

“Hellooooooo?” She hears a distant call, echoing up the empty stairwell below, and she sits up straight, not quite believing what she’s hearing. She knows that voice!

“Sora?”

She gets to her feet, dropping the fur blanket but keeping her stolen coat, and rushes to the stairwell. Thankfully it’s not far before she comes to a great open hall and finds an entire group walking through the castle of ice’s barren halls.

“Sora!” She cries. “Haru!”

“Rapunzel?” Sora is taken aback, but before anyone else can react he’s rushing forward, leaping up the stairs and balconies with little heed for such pittant things like gravity. He barrels into her, nearly knocking them both over in his excitement and relief.

“You're okay!” He cries. “I was so worried! You are okay, right?”

“I’m fine.” She confirms. “Where’s Eugene, is he alright?”

“He’s fine, heading up all sort of search parties back in Corona I’m sure.” Haru says as he jogs up to them. Anna and Kristoff follow a short distance behind. “Where’s Lauriam?”

Kristoff is giving Rapunzel a strange look. He leans over to whisper “Hey is that my coat?” to Anna, who shrugs.

“I don’t know. I escaped.” Rapunzel answers Haru, excited and proud of that fact.

“Nice going, Rapunzel!” Sora cheers. “And you thought you couldn’t take care of yourself.”

She flushes, pleased at the praise.

“Anna? What are you doing here?”

The group looks up to see Elsa standing at the top of the stairwell, panicked incredulity writ all over her features.

“Elsa!” Anna smiles with relief, running up the stairs toward her sister.

“Stay back!” Elsa cries, throwing a hand out instinctively and a wall of spiked ice erupting from the ground between them. Anna stops, confused. “Stay- Stay back. You can’t be here. Go home.”

“No.” Anna shakes her head. “Whatever’s going on and got you so scared, you can trust me. I want to help.”

“You can’t help!” Elsa cries, anguish and anger melding in her voice. “Go! Home!”

“No!” Anna yells back. Elsa turns and runs, vanishing into the tower, barricades of ice forming behind her. “Elsa!”

“Wait a sec-” Rapunzel rushes after them, followed closely by the rest of the group. Anna grabs Sven and the hastily constructed barricades are no match for a charging reindeer, chasing her up the tower.

“Leave me alone!” Elsa’s shout echoes almost mournfully down the unadorned walls.

“Why are you doing this?” Anna’s return shout is inversely determined.

“Because _you deserve better than this!”_ The group stumbles as the ice below and around them lights up as if from within, glowing iridescent and eerie. Something thunders ominously, and outside the windows dark clouds gather. Haru and Sora pant as they quickly ascend in their wake, the change in altitude slowing their steps, Kristoff just ahead of them.

When they reach the highest room they find Elsa standing in front of the mirror, both her and the mirror glowing an eye searing purple, and Anna trying to approach her, struggling against wind and magic pushing her back.

“I won’t let you keep pushing me away!” Anna shouts, and Elsa stills, though the glow only pulses brighter.

“What?” Elsa whispers, loud despite the roar of magic echoing around the empty space. Anna meets her eyes with determination.

“You think I never noticed? You’re always pushing me away, our whole lives, always trying to do it alone. I’m saying _enough_. I’m here for you. You don’t have to be alone anymore.” Anna reaches out a hand to her sister, trying to pull her in, away from the mirror.

For a single moment, Elsa looks like she might reach back.

She hesitates.

“No.” Elsa jerks back. “I can’t. _I can’t.”_

The magic around the mirror pulses once more, sending everyone but Elsa tumbling away from it. Sora is the only one who manages to land on his feet, Kristoff and Anna not expecting it and Haru stumbling as a wave of dizziness hits him. The mirror pulses again as he leaps forward, led by instinct and reaching for Elsa.

The magic wraps itself around both of them.

Everything goes black.

-

He’s falling?

Sora blinks his eyes open, disoriented, turning his head this way and that to see surreal, almost nonsensical surroundings. He’s falling into what appears to be an endless abyss, broken shards of glass twice his size and bigger scattered as far as he can see in any direction. He twists around to see the same above as below.

A moment later, he realises there is no one with him.

Not outside.

And not within.

His breath stutters and icy panic worms through his veins as he takes that fact in. He looks around again, wildly this time, looking for something- _anything-_ that might hint to where his companions have gone. His heart does triple time as he finds nothing. He’s alone. He’s _alone._

Something passes over him, casting a dark shadow across his body and he looks up, blessedly distracted.

A massive wolflike creature- Heartless?- looms above him. A moment later it swerves toward him and raises an enormous clawed paw to strike. It’s only thanks to Sora’s experience diving in the sleeping realm that let’s him dodge the first blow, but the jaws snap after him, making him desperately dodge again and not see the second swipe of massive claws coming.

He grunts as it hits him, sending him flying into one of the massive floating shards.

Unexpectedly, he _keeps_ flying through the shard wall as if there’s nothing there, and a moment later he comes to a rolling stop across flat ground. He gets up slowly to his hands and knees, waiting for the creature to follow him but nothing does.

In fact, he sees nothing at all. He’s surrounded by darkness.

As his heavy breathing slows he realises he can hear whispers, just barely on the edge of perception and nothing he can make words out of. He latches on to the distraction, turning his head this way and that, trying to catch the noise.

“Hello?” He calls, and the whispers suddenly cease. He takes a few steps forward, if only for something to do.

“Hellooooo?” He calls again as the silence extends. The whispers start again, but there’s an urgent quality to them now that there hadn’t been before.

He keeps walking, though he keeps his keyblade in hand in case the monster from before shows up again.

Sora blinks, and suddenly there’s something in the distance. The relief at finally seeing something in this blank nothingness seizes Sora and he takes off at a run, slowing only as he draws close to it.

It’s the mirror from before.

This one is whole though, uncracked, and in front of it-

“Xion?” He asks, but he hasn’t seen her like this in months. The formless, featureless smoke shifts only slightly, something that might be a head turning towards him. Grief and sorrow grip him, nearly bowling him over with their strength.

The shadow’s face turns away.

“Look at them.” It’s that whisper again, echoed and distorted with the memory of a thousand voices, but Sora can understand it now at least. “They’re so happy.”

Sora steps forward, though it feels like stepping through a quagmire, as if the shadows grief and guilt have taken physical form to slow him. He looks in the mirror and sees familiar faces, smiling and laughing. They do look happy.

“Xion…” Sora says, knowing for certain now. “Come on. We have to get out of here.”

The shadow shakes its head.

“They’ve forgotten. No one remembers. You won’t either soon. I’m going to die and no one will have even ever known I’d l i v e d.”

“Don’t say that.” Sora protests, kneeling down to be level with the smoky spectre. “We’re going to change that, you know we will.”

“It’ s t o o l a t e.” The distortion increases. “I t ’s t oo l a t e.”

“It’s never too late.” Sora won’t let her give up like this. “Look at them, look how happy they are to be your friends. They wouldn’t want you to let go. Not ever.”

The spectre wails.

“T h ey’ ve f or g o t te n. N o o n e w i ll r e m e mb er m e.”

It condenses into a vague ball, before the mirror. The images within laugh again.

Sora steps forward, gathering the smoke into a hug as best he can.

“I remember you.”

Sora blinks as his vision whites out, and the empty darkness shifts, becoming an uneven and reflective surface, and in his arms-

Xion looks up at him, whole and human looking, tears in her eyes.

“Sora?” She asks. “I- what happened?”

The gears in Sora’s head turn.

“I think we’re inside the mirror… Somehow.” He answers. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She sniffles and nods. “I… Don’t tell Roxas, okay? He feels guilty enough as it is, and I don’t blame him or Axel. It’s just… fear, I guess.”

“I won’t tell. C’mong, we better go find the others and get out of here.”

He takes her hand and she nods again. Their hands tingle as they're clasped, and though it's not quite the same as normal, Sora feels releif as his heart reaches out for hers.

“Do you know where they went?” She asks.

“Not exactly,” He admits, “But I found you when a heartless knocked me into one of the floating shards, so if we keep trying that we should be able to find them eventually.”

“There’s a heartless in here?” She asks as they step towards the sharp and uneven glass wall.

“Yeah. I think it might be part of the mirror. Or the mirror’s negative energy summoned it. Either way, be ready.” Sora says, and Xion responds by growing grim and summoning her keyblade in her free hand.

They step through the seemingly solid wall without resistance and go into free fall.

Sora doesn’t see the monster, though he keeps an eye out, and follows when Xion steers them towards a particular shard.

They tumble in and orient quickly, finding themselves in-

“Twilight Town?” Sora asks.

“Huh.” Xion hums, looking around, spotting someone rounding a corner in the distance. “Over there!”

They take off at a run, rounding the corner and there’s Roxas in his white jacket and gray pants running after something himself.

“Roxas wait!” Xion calls, but Roxas doesn’t so much as falter in his run, rounding yet another corner.

They find him in the next area, approaching a group, and both Xion and Sora pull up short as they see who’s there.

It’s… all of them, clustered up in a group, laughing at some joke. Hayner, Pence, Olette… Sora, Xion, Ven and Vanitas… Kairi and Lea are there too, even. It all seems picture perfect compared to what Xion’s had been. Sora and Xion exchange a confused look and he shrugs.

“Hey guys!” Roxas calls as he approaches the group, a smile on his face.

No one answers or even turns to look at him. He falters but keeps going.

“What’s up, what’s the joke?” He asks. Lea doesn’t acknowledge him, turning away and gesturing for the group to follow him.

“Who wants to go see a movie? My treat.” He says. Roxas jogs forward.

“A movie sounds great, what’s play-” He stops as Lea puts out an arm to stop him.

“Look uh, sorry man. Not enough tickets for everyone. Mind sitting this one out? Thanks, bud.” And then he turns away before Roxas has the chance to answer.

“Wait, but-” Roxas stutters, and watches as Isa appears from an alley and Lea tugs him along, leaving Roxas behind.

The scene shifts.

The clocktower, Roxas comes up the long winding stairs and finds himself at their usual spot. The fake Xion sitting on the tower doesn’t look up, but Lea does, only to make a quickly masked face of annoyance and glance away just as quickly.

Roxas sits, and Lea gets up.

“Well it’s getting late. I better go.” He announces. Roxas looks up at him, disappointed.

“But I just got here.”

“Sorry.” Fake Xion stands as well. “I gotta go too.”

They both leave. Xion, the real Xion next to Sora tries to reach out again to the boy's bowed shoulders.

“Roxas-”

The scene shifts.

Roxas jogs up to the Twilight Town kids, waving them down.

“Hey guys, I was thinking we could hang out today-”

“Look, Roxas right?” Hayner turns to him. “I know we were all buddy buddy in your weird fake universe but we’re not friends, okay? Stop bothering us.”

“O.. Oh- I-” Roxas doesn’t seem to know what to do, frozen in place.

“It’s nothing personal.” Olette tries to soften the blow. “But we just don’t know you, and we don’t really have space for more people.”

“Better luck next time.” Pence offers as the three turn away, leaving Roxas alone in the street.

“None of us would do that.” Xion pleads, hoping he’ll hear her. “You know us, none of us would leave you behind.”

“Would you?” Roxas responds, but he doesn’t look toward them, not acknowledging their presence in truth. “Or is it just another lie I’ve been told like all the rest?”

“Of course not!” Sora bursts out. “Having friends means… trusting them. And yeah sometimes they mess up. That’s just being a person, but if they’re real friends they would never deliberately hurt you like that.”

Tears well in Roxas’ eyes, still staring at the space where the Twilight Town kids had walked away.

“But what if they do?”

“Roxas…” Xion steps forward, placing herself directly into Roxas’ line of sight. “If we did that to you, we wouldn’t deserve you.”

Roxas blinks, once, twice, and Twilight Town dissolves around them.

“Xion?” He rasps, and Xion throws her arms around him in a tight hug.

“Welcome back.” She says into his collar, and he brings his arms up to hug her back just as tightly.

“Thanks, Xion.”

It’s only a short bit to get them all on the same page, and then they’re standing at the wall once more.

“Ready?” Sora asks. The other two nod.

“Let’s go.” Roxas says, leading them through, each holding one of Xion’s hands.

Sora thinks he sees the shadow of the monster at one point, but thankfully nothing comes of it as Roxas steers them towards another shard, something about it calling to him.

They come to a stumbling stop, less bumpy than previous entrances, and Sora wonders if they’re getting easier or if he’s just getting used to it.

They’re in some kind of crumbling castle.

There’s debris everywhere, walls and pillars little more than crumbling ruins, shattered glass scattered about the floor and crunching under their feet.

“What is this place?” Roxas asks. Sora hums.

“It looks kinda familiar, like-” Memories that weren’t his. Sora spots a figure at the base of a wide set of stairs. “Ven!”

The three of them run up, slowing as they spot two more figures with their wayward companion.

“Please, Aqua.” Ven pleads. “I know I messed up, but-”

“Stop, Ventus.” Aqua’s voice is stern, and Ven flinches at the use of his full name. “You’ve done enough.”

“But-” Ven tries again, and the third figure raises his hand.

“No, Ventus. You abandoned us, abandoned this place. The Master is _dead_ because of you. What did you expect?”

“I-I thought-” Ven stutters. Aqua sighs.

“I think you should leave now.” She says quietly, turning away. “Terra and I have a lot of work to do to clean up our home.”

“It’s my home too.” Ven’s voice wavers dangerously.

“No.” Terra says, turning away. “It isn’t.”

They walk away, and Ven collapses to his knees, hiccups reverberating in his chest as he tries to hold his emotions in.

“Oh Ven..” Sora whispers, kneeling next to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “They wouldn’t do that. You know they wouldn’t.”

“I left them.” Ven’s voice is broken. “For a _decade_. Because I was scared of how things might change. It was selfish and I deserve it.”

“No, you don’t.” Roxas says, settling on Ven’s other side. “I promise.”

Xion rests her palms on his back, tipping her head forward until her forehead rests against the curve of his spine.

“Things will change.” She says. “And that’s okay. They won’t hate you for trying your best, even if you messed up.”

The Land of Departure dissolves into the blank space representing the inside of the shard, but Ven’s soft hiccups only grow as the others cluster around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little bit of character study, a dash of plot, a maybe a mite of foreshadowing, makes a good nightmare sequence. this part was fun to write, getting into each characters head and finding what makes them tick and turning it against them. we all need a little help with our recovery sometimes.
> 
> we'll get to vanitas' next chapter. it felt a little weird to segment his from the rest, but honestly even without having hit the page count.. it got a bit much to have them all together. vanitas' fears are quite a bit darker than everyone elses and... whew. it gets a bit overwhelming all at once imo. my condolences to anyone future-binge-reading this.


	12. We will not be put off the final goal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Escaping the nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the first section with vanitas' nightmare is.. dark. i really don't know how to warn for it beyond that? it involves a lot of being puppeted and involuntary murder. feel free to skip to the first page break if that discomfits you.

Vanitas waits in the dark.

The shapes that come out of the shadows to attack him are familiar- achingly, terrifyingly familiar, so he doesn’t think about it. He doesn’t think about the broken shards of his heart, he doesn’t look back into the mirror behind him, and he doesn’t register the trembling in his limbs growing with each encounter. He’s puppeted by unseen strings and he hates it.

It’s not real.

He knows it’s not, but he can’t break free from it. Another figure stalks forward. He doesn’t deign to call it by the name of the form it’s stolen.

“You really think you belonged with us after what you’ve done?” The shadow wearing Sora’s face accuses. Vanitas feels his keyblade flash to life once more in his hand. He doesn’t raise it. He doesn’t want to see that it’s not Unchained he holds, but his old blade of gears and chains and no name at all.

He doesn’t answer. Fake Sora snorts.

“Not going to say anything? Fine. I guess we all should’ve seen this coming.”

Fake Sora leaps at him, and Vanitas defends himself, like he always does.

His hands are slick with blood. His cheeks itch with the splatter. He sits, and waits for the next one.

“I trusted you.” Xion says, heartbroken.

“I thought you were our friend.” Roxas angers.

“I hate you.” Ventus whispers, an incandescent rage.

Vanitas’ heart clenches.

Too close.

Again, again, again.

The floor runs red. His hair drips.

There’s a mirror behind him. It begs him to use it’s power to free himself, and he knows better than to accept whatever unseen condition lies in wait. No matter how badly he wants to shriek and cry, to tear himself apart at the seams he’s spent so long gluing back together.

He takes a deep breath as the silence drags on, no shades to assault him now. For a brief moment, he hopes it might be over.

He opens his eyes.

“You’re nothing.” Haru accuses.

“It’s your fault.” Lauriam raises his scythe.

Elrena says nothing, only pure, unashamed fury.

Again, again, again.

Silence. He no longer hopes it might be over.

“Why?”

He opens his eyes wide, not expecting this voice. Kaze and Aurelia stand before him, shocked and heartbroken. Sora lies at their feet.

“He loved you.” Lia whispers, gathering her son’s limp form in her arms. “We loved you. How could you do this?”

“You’re a monster.” Kaze glares at him, placing herself between him and Lia. His arm raises, and he can’t stop it, puppeted by unseen strings. For the first time he panics- this was no battle, no self defence. Murder.

 _It’s not real._ He tells himself as he brings the blade down. It doesn’t change anything, he’s still trapped. Just like when he’d been split from the original Ventus, and those words hadn’t changed anything then either.

It’s not real.

Again, again, again.

-

Anna yells as Sora and Elsa are sucked into the mirror, rushing forward to no avail. It sits still and silent as the grave in the empty room.

“No nononono-” She chants, looking over the mirror. “What happened, where did they go? Bring them back we have to bring them back-”

“How though?” Kristoff asks, running a gloved hand over his hair at a loss. Rapunzel looks on with a vague sense of horror. Where _had_ they gone?

A gloved hand appears in her vision, and when she looks up she finds Haru leaning over to help her up. She takes his hand gratefully and he lifts her to her feet easily.

“Are they okay?” Rapunzel asks, and Haru frowns.

“I hope so. Sora’s a survivor, and he’s got his heartmates with him at least. They’ll find a way.”

 _“Well.”_ Comes an unexpected new voice from the entryway, haughty and confident. “ _Someone_ owes me a new pair of boots.”

-

Ven wipes the tears from his cheeks as he slowly collects himself. He offers no answers and the others ask no questions as he hefts himself to his feet. He leads them to the wall, and silently they enter free fall once more.

The heartless roars and they all hear it, but Ven pulls them down, down, down, tugging them towards one shard in particular, and they enter it without resistance.

They land gently on their feet, hands still linked, surrounded by complete darkness.

“I don’t like this.” Xion whispers. Roxas nods, knowing what nebulous feeling she’s referring to.

“Something feels really wrong here.”

Ven screws up his determination and walks forward, leading them deeper into the dark. It’s silent, and eerie as they walk at first, not even their footsteps make noise.

“This should be Vanitas, right?” Sora asks from the back of the line. Ven nods grimly.

“I don’t think anyone else got pulled in with us, besides Elsa.”

Their steps start to splash, as if they’re walking through shallow puddles. Xion looks down, just barely able to make out their deep red in the dark and then looks back up again, nauseous.

“Don’t look down.” She whispers, tightening her grip on Roxas and Sora’s hands on either side of her.

The others don’t answer aloud, but both their hands squeeze hers, acknowledging it. She can only assume Ven does as well at the front, holding Roxas’ other hand.

Suddenly a light shines down, a single shaft piercing down from the ceiling, and in the center-

“Vanitas!” Ven says, steps speeding up, only to be abruptly halted when Vanitas’ eyes snap open and he raises his weapon.

“His eyes…” Roxas whispers, the gold in them so striking as to freeze him in place, and Xion feels his hand clench around hers tightly.

“Vani- it’s us.” Sora steps forward. “It’s okay.”

Vanitas says nothing, leaping forward and bringing his blade down heavily, scattering them as they separate for safety.

“Stop!” Xion cries, Oblivion appearing in her hand as she falls into a defensive position. “We don’t want to fight you!”

His only answer is to lunge for her next, and she ducks under his swinging blade, blocking the second swipe as he swings it back around.

“Over here!” Roxas shouts, waving Oathkeeper wildly to get his attention. “You wanna dance? Let’s dance.”

Vanitas changes course, and Roxas blocks the incoming blows with ease, pushing Vanitas back with a return blow but not one with any real intent to injure. It sets him off balance enough that when Ventus tackles him from the side it takes him completely off-guard, sending him skidding several feet. Ven tumbles away, coming smoothly to his feet as Vanitas throws him off, and he falls in line with the others as they move towards Vanitas cautiously.

Van’s movements grow erratic and desperate then, sensing he’s outnumbered and outmatched now as the group closes in on him in a very loose circle. He drops and kicks out a foot in a wide arc, sending most of them falling or jumping away and he leaps at the closest one- Roxas- and the two tumble several times before coming to a stop with Vanitas sitting on Roxas’ chest.

He raises his keyblade as Roxas looks on, a complicated mix of fear, betrayal, and anger on his face, before Vanitas is suddenly forced off by Sora launching himself bodily at Vanitas. Vanitas recovers better this time, flipping to his feet as he uses the momentum to his advantage, while Sora lands somewhat awkwardly half on his knees.

Vanitas catches him in the side with his keyblade before Sora has the chance to get oriented, sending the boy bouncing across the ground painfully, and when Sora blinks the dizziness from his eyes he finds himself looking up into Vanitas’ as he holds his old keyblade threateningly above him. The others are getting to their feet, but there’s nothing they can do from where they are with Vanitas’ blade hovering just over his head.

Sora wants to plead, to say something- anything- that might break Vanitas’ from whatever is holding him, but there’s a lump in his throat that won’t move. It hurts that this is happening. It hurts worse that he knows Vanitas will never forgive himself once he gets out of here.

Sora hangs his head, tears in his eyes.

The moment hangs. Another.

“Why don’t you speak?” Vanitas says. “Run out of ideas already?”

“Like I ever had any ideas to start with.” The joke is weak and his voice falters, but Sora doesn’t really know what else to say.

Vanitas twitches, and his brows furrow. Sora chances looking up, and it’s unnerving to see someone he’s known his whole life covered in viscera and despair, both things contrasting against near-glowing unnatural yellow eyes. He’s seen the memories of course, but the Vanitas he knew, the one he’d grown up with and loved had never sported them. It feels wrong.

“I’m tired of these tricks. Try something else.” Vanitas grits out. Behind him Roxas looks over to Ventus, who steps forward.

“It’s not a trick.” Ven says slowly. “I promise. Reach out. Can’t you still feel us?”

Vanitas’ keyblade, still held over Sora’s head, trembles in his grip.

“How can I know?” He whispers, quiet as death. Sora gets to his knees, and gently pushes the keyblade aside as he continues up to his feet. He moves slowly, like approaching a wild animal, and wraps his arms around his childhood friend in a hug.

“How about this?” Sora murmurs into his collar, and he feels Vanitas’ breath hitch. There’s the familiar sound of a keyblade vanishing, and hands come to rest on Sora’s back.

“This is the worst trick of them all.” Vanitas says, voice hoarse. Sora feels the others cluster around them, hands and bodies roaming close in a comforting circle.

“No tricks.” Sora promises. “Just us.”

“Just this weird little family of ours.” Ven adds, resting his hands gently on Vanitas’ back.

Vanitas doesn’t sob and the tenseness in his body doesn’t lessen, but the darkness vanishes, leaving the empty shard of glass behind it.

-

They take a moment, just to rest. They're all exhausted, emotionally more than anything. But they can't stay forever, and it's probably not Sora's imagination that those distant roars keep getting louder.

-

“... Wanna talk about it?” Ven asks as the group moves towards the wall. Vanitas leads them now, as seems to have become tradition for the newest addition to lead. Vanitas’ snorts. His eyes are their normal red again, much to Sora’s relief.

“No.”

“You won’t be his puppet again.” Ven says quietly. “We won’t let it happen.”

“I said I _don’t want to talk about it.”_ Vanitas hisses. Ven frowns.

The moment drags on, and Vanitas feels the weight of Ven’s fingers in his own all too clearly.

“It’s not… just that.” Vanitas admits at length. “I’m a danger whether or not I’m a puppet. One day I will hurt you. It’s just a matter of when, and who.”

“But you don’t want to.” Sora says from the back of the line. “And you’re trying not to. That matters.”

Vanitas tosses his head with tsk, clearly showing what he thinks of that particular sentiment.

“You haven’t hurt us yet.” Xion points out. They draw up to the wall and stop, and Vanitas looks back at the group gathered behind him.

“Give it time.” He answers simply, and then he steps through, pulling the rest along with him and leaving no more time to talk.

The wind whips past them as they fall and soon Sora realises it’s not just the fall creating the gusting winds that begin to buffet them back and forth. He tries to shout something for the others but no one can hear him over the bellowing winds.

Despite that, he does hear the immense roar that echoes from above, and Sora twists, still keeping linked with Xion, to see the same monster from before bearing down on them.

Sora jerks on Xion’s arm, tugging the whole group to the side as the monster lunges through the empty air, alerting the whole line to the impending danger. Vanitas snarls something Sora is sure is foul as he summons his blade in his free hand- thankfully returned to its normal Unchained state. Roxas, Ven, and Xion, stuck in the middle as they are, try their best to steer, pulling them away from the monsters next lunge as Sora and Vanitas swipe at it as it goes by.

“This isn’t working!” Vanitas manages to make himself heard above the noise. “It’ll wear us out before we can kill it!”

“Split up?” Roxas suggests from the center of the line, and Sora’s heart seizes.

“No!” He yells. “Don’t let go!”

“He’s right!” Xion yells into the wind. “We shouldn’t lose each other in here!”

“What do we do then?” Roxas shouts back. The wind picks up again, nearly drowning him out entirely. Sora squints into the gale, and has an idea.

“There!” He shouts, but even at his loudest no one can hear him any more, so he points down to where a mass of darkness and wind have coalesced into an ominous storm from which the maelstrom was forming.

Ven follows his direction first and nods with determination, tugging on Roxas and Vanitas’ hands in turn, steering the group towards the maelstrom.

The monster dives for them again, and it’s only through their combined effort that it misses them once more, tumbling into the storm below and vanishing from sight.

A moment later, they follow it in.

-

Sora lands on his feet, though somewhat ungracefully. He’s not sure where he is, some kind of hallway perhaps, and the air is now eerily still and silent.

His hands are empty.

He looks around wildly for a moment until he feels the familiar tugging on his heart, his heartmates returning to their places within him, though somewhat lethargically. His whole body relaxes with relief at this knowledge, and he pushes away the following guilt at that relief readily. He hears the quiet murmur of people talking from down the long hallway, and he follows it.

He comes out into a large ballroom packed with people.

Confused, he moves around the edges, searching through the crowd until finally he sees a semi-familiar face.

“Elsa?” He says as he pushes through the throngs of party goers.

“Hello Sora.” She greets politely, a placid and entirely fake smile on her face. “I’m sorry I don’t have much time to entertain, I have a great deal of people to greet tonight.”

Sora’s brows furrow.

“What is this place?” He asks. She tilts her head in confusion.

“It’s a ball. Every important person for kingdoms around is here tonight. Did you not know?”

She continues to speak in a flat, generically polite tone, and the gears turn together in Sora’s head.

“This is your nightmare?” He asks, and her eyes widen, and she makes the first non-calculated movement of the interaction, reaching out to hush him as if he’d shouted.

“Don’t let them hear you.” She whispers, and he frowns.

“Who?” He asks. The pain in her eyes grows.

“Everyone.” Her voice grows even softer. “If they hear they’ll suspect something’s wrong, and I can’t let that happen.”

“Why not?”

Elsa’s hands start to frost over, creeping up her wrists and elbows and she hides them behind her back, glancing around in a panic to see if anyone noticed.

Sora steps forward, reaching out for her.

“Elsa, it’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid.”

“Yes I do.” She hisses.

And then the monster from before bursts from the floor.

Wooden floorboards and fake bodies go flying as it erupts from below, roaring and leaving wisps of darkness and ice in its wake. It swipes wide claws across the area and Sora grabs Elsa as he dodges out of the way. Elsa stares at it wide eyed, and Sora tugs at her.

“We have to go! Do you know how to get out of the mirror?”

She glances between him and the monster, and the monster roars again, leaping at them. She gains a grim look of determination, ducking under its leap with Sora in tow and running as fast as her legs can carry her. She heads for the grand staircase at one end of the ballroom, stumbling up the steps as the beast on their tail rams itself in the stairs just behind them.

Sora helps keep her steady and they rush up the stairway, emerging into a short hall, at the end of which is an ominous set of double doors.

Elsa draws up short, but there’s no time for her hesitation as the beast roars again, shoving and wiggling its immense body into the narrow hall. She glances back at it as it struggles toward them and then shoves the doors open.

In the center of the room inside… is the mirror.

“Huh?” Sora pauses, confused. Elsa steps towards the mirror.

“This is the way out.” She says, placing a hand against its whole, unfractured reflection. “You need to go.”

“Not without you.” Sora says. Out in the hall the beast roars in frustration as it claws its way closer.

“No, I-” Elsa looks away, and Sora huffs in frustration.

“You’d rather stay in your own nightmares?” He asks. She shakes her head.

“Of course not.” She protests. “But at least those people aren’t real. I can’t hurt anyone here.”

The beast roars again, and the crunch-scrape of claws tearing into wood and stone gets closer.

“Sköll.” Elsa whispers the beast's name, fear in her voice.

Sora takes Elsa’s clasped hands, intent.

“You can’t stay here.”

“But-” She still hesitates. The beast bursts through the narrow doorway, destroying it, wriggling its way through the broken beams and falling stonework, heedless of both.

The time for debate is gone, whittled away by fear and indecision, and neither of them can wait anymore. Sora does what he does best and makes a split second decision as he grabs Elsa and pulls them both through the mirror.

Sköll roars again as it gives chase. They don’t have to look back to know it has followed them.

Too late now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah vanitas _basically_ gets like half a chapter all to himself, which is why he had to get seperated from the other chapter lol. he's got some Big Damn Fears, the poor guy.


	13. We have it hidden in us to attain,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> End of Arrendelle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> todays chapter includes a fight scene (go figure) that got... complicated? im not sure if that's the right word. there are a LOT of important moving pieces during it, and i really tried to keep it all straight while keeping the focus on the several major players in it without jumping around tooooo much. i ended up doing some interesting jiggery to make it work, and hopefully it reads smoothly.

Haru places himself between Rapunzel and the two intruders faster than anyone else can react, sword raised. Anna and Kristoff take his lead, though they’re obviously confused, they stand ready to fight with him. Elrena enters fully into the room and closer to the group, followed by Lauriam.

“Look, Princess-” Elrena steps toward them, only to be cut off and have to jump back as Haru swings his sword at her with a snarl.

“Let us explain-” Lauriam tries, but Haru is having none of it, and Lauriam has to dodge the swinging blade quickly or face it’s edge.

Elrena’s weapons pop into her hands, long knives that look wickedly sharp in her experienced care.

“Alright I guess we’re doing this the hard way.” She huffs. Lauriam sighs.

“Don’t hurt him.” He says mildly. Elrena snickers.

“Buzzkill.” She flings her first set of knives at Haru, who blocks them, glinted edges glancing off his sword and sending sparks flying.

She launches herself forward, lightning crackling around her as she tackles Haru, sending both of them flying with the force of it. Anna and Kristoff form up around Rapunzel as Lauriam stalks towards them.

“I can’t heal on command!” Rapunzel shouts. “I can’t do whatever it is you want! Leave me alone!”

And to her surprise.. Lauriam stops. The sharp clanging of Haru and Elrena’s weapons echo in the wide, hollow space.

“That’s not why I- Please. May I explain?”

“The lady said to leave her alone, buddy.” Kristoff says, making his bulk into a wall between them. Anna nods.

“Yeah, take a hint!”

Lauriam hesitates, but before he can respond, whether to answer or to acquiesce-

“HEADS UP!”

-a body is thrown into him with force, sending both skidding across the icy floors.

“Sorry, Lauri!” Elrena calls as Lauriam and Haru sit up, groaning. Haru spits something bloody as he hauls himself to his feet.

“You think I’d just let you walk in and steal her again? Wasn’t Naminé _enough?”_ Haru hisses as he stands. Lauriam stays where he is on his back, hands raised.

“You misunderstand me, I was coming to apo-”

He’s cut off once more as the mirror suddenly lights up brilliantly, blinding everyone in the room. A moment later Sora is revealed, tugging Elsa along behind him.

“Elsa!” Anna cries with relief, rushing forward, only pausing as Sora waves her back wildly, already running.

“Get back!” He cries, and a moment later it’s clear why as an enormous beast bursts from the mirror with a roar, wind knocking everyone off kilter with the force of it.

“It seems it will have to wait.” Lauriam grunts as he hauls himself to his feet, scythe appearing in hand as he faces the beast. Haru begrudgingly does so as well.

“We’re not finished.” He warns lowly, which Lauriam merely acknowledges with a short nod.

They both leap at the beast, darting around its bulk to keep its attention divided. The lightning Haru sees on occasion can only mean Elrena is doing the same, though she moves so quickly he can barely catch sight of her with his own movement. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Sora tugging Elsa towards the sidelines, though she seems hesitant somehow. He can’t pay it all that much mind in the heat of battle though.

He slides under the monster's legs, hacking at its belly as he goes. Lauriam slices at its haunches, sidestepping as the beast swipes massive claws at him.

“Yeah! Go on, get out of here!” That’s Anna, chucking hunks of ice at the beasts head. Kristoff and Rapunzel both seem to have gotten a hold of large icicles, wielding them like bats to strike as the creature turns.

-

The beast roars in frustration.

“Anna get back!” Elsa tries to tug her sister away from the fray, but Anna is having none of it. Sora leaps into the chaos of battle as it turns towards the siblings, distracting it once more, Ven and Roxas forming beside him as he goes.

“No, I can help, we can beat it-!” Anna protests.

“They can, but you should get somewhere safe!” Elsa pleads, and Anna’s look grows angry.

“That’s all I’ve ever been! Why won’t you ever let me _help?”_

Elsa leans back. Rapunzel squeaks as a back foot comes crashing down a little too close to her, but she rallies and smacks it with her icicle club before it can move away again. Elsa reaches out, distracted, but Rapunzel waves her off with a shaky but self assured grin. Anna touches Elsa’s arm, returning her attention to her and reminding her of what they’re doing.

Elsa looks lost.

“I just want to protect you.”

The beast whirls, and the girls have to duck to avoid it’s flying tail. Ven, clinging to the end of it, waves cheerily as he flies past.

“Maybe I don’t want to be protected!” Anna grows angry as she picks up more hunks of ice. “Maybe I just want to see my sister sometimes! Maybe I don’t want to be nothing but a burden to you!”

“You’re not a burden-” Elsa starts. Anna hurls another rock, catching Sköll in the eye and making it shake it’s head roughly in pain. The mirror flashes.

“That’s all I’ve ever been! I love you, Elsa, but I’m tired of things being like this!”

Elsa pauses. Sköll glows as the mirror flashes again.

“Like this?” She gestures at the massive, chaotic battle around them. Anna gives her a flat look.

“Ha ha.” She says, heavy with sarcasm. “Seriously, Elsa-!”

“This isn’t what I wanted either, you know!” Elsa cries back. Sköll roars with newfound power as the mirror glows brighter.

-

Lauriam shouts as he fails to dodge quite quickly enough, only to be smacked out of the way by Elrena who takes the beasts charge herself, tumbling across the ground and hitting the wall with a crack.

“Elrena!” Lauriam shouts.

“‘M fine jackass.” She answers, though her words are slurred. “Fack aff.”

Sora runs up Sköll’s furred back, hitting its head as soon as he’s within reach, an impressive feat considering how often the beast moves. Kristoff dodges between its legs alongside Rapunzel, trying to trip it up, or at least disorient it enough to keep it from attacking.

(“Well what _did_ you want?” Anna cries from the side of the room. “Because all I know is I was always alone!”)

It works only temporarily however, as Kristoff is flicked aside by its tail, and a moment the monster has Haru trapped beneath one passive paw.

“Let him go!” Sora shouts, swinging his keyblade down hard on the beast's snout. Ven and Roxas both flit towards the paw, Ven doing his best to keep it’s weight from crushing Haru and Roxas trying to pry the claws open enough to drag him out.

(“I know! And that’s my fault too!” Elsa’s voice cracks. The mirrors glow deepens. “I hurt you and you _forgot._ You’ve forgotten so many things and it’s _all my fault.”_ )

The jaws of the beast snap open and come down on Sora, who manages to catch it’s teeth before they can catch him, a move similar to what he had once used for Cerberus, though against only one mouth this time. He grunts against the pressure, and a moment later he finds himself flying as the beast decides to merely fling him away rather than deal with him.

(“Just _talk_ to me for once, Elsa.”)

“Come on, ugly!” Rapunzel shouts, taking a cue from Anna earlier and throwing more ice chunks at it, scooping up more as she runs from the many now littering the ruined room.

(“I can’t!” Elsa wraps her arms around herself, and the mirrors glow spills outward. The beast gains strength once more)

Kristoff looks between the beast and the mirror.

The beast throws Haru, Ven and Roxas flying after him to cushion his fall, and turns to Rapunzel, claws bared.

(Elsa and Anna both turn in horror, and the mirror continues to glow.)

Rapunzel retreats a step, and belatedly realizes she’s backed herself into a corner.

The claws come down, and she braces, a moment later-

_“LAUR!”_

Rapunzel looks up, and finds herself facing Lauriams back. He has his weapon raised, but though it had kept the massive claws from reaching Rapunzel, the same could not be said for Lauriam himself.

The whole room flashes with lightning, and the beast stumbles as something hits it from the side with force. Elrena shrieks as she tears into it, striking fast and hard and without mercy. It growls and snaps at the air, but she moves too quickly to be caught, never in a single space for more than an instant, striking and moving again without pause. Nearly everyone who had been in the midst of the fight before has to dodge back as electricity flashes chaotically around them.

Lauriam lists to one side, claws removed, and then collapses as Rapunzel watches on in horror. Her natural empathy wins out as she rushes to him, carefully turning him over.

Her hands come away sticky.

He blinks blearily up at her, and to her confusion he smiles.

“You’re… okay..”

“Why would you do that?” She asks. Demands. “I already told you I can’t heal anymore!”

“I know.” He whispers, barely heard over the continued battle, over Elrena’s unstoppable anger. “I wanted to… apologize. Before. What I did.. Was wrong. I’m sorry.”

His breathing gets shallow, and Rapunzel holds her hands over the wounds as best she can, but she knows it won’t help for long.

“No no no don’t die, I won’t accept it if you die so you better not die-”

Lauriam gives the pathetic approximation of a chuckle.

“Tell Elrena I’m sorry. I don’t want to leave her too.”

“You won’t.” Rapunzel says. “If you mean that you're sorry you _will live_ do you hear me?”

His breath hitches, once, twice.

“I don’t.. Think I have.. A…”

Rapunzel freezes, and the sounds of battle grow distant as her mind grays out.

Twice someone has died in her arms now.

Her hands shake, still pressed over the sluggishly bleeding wounds.

He’d done a terrible thing to her… But he didn’t deserve to die. Not to her. ~~Not like Gothel.~~

She has to try.

_“Flower gleam…”_

Sköll shrieks as Elrena slams into it once more. Sora and Haru manage to get close enough to attack its legs as Ven and Roxas tackle it from above. Power runs through it as it tries to retaliate, pulsing in time to the mirror behind it.

_“.. and glow…”_

“The mirror!” Kristoff shouts. “Destroy it!”

_“Let your power shine.”_

(“What?! No!” Elsa protests, trying to rush towards it and is held back by Anna.)

The beast finally manages to catch Elrena again, but this time smacking her across the room does little more than make her angrier as she uses the wall to launch herself back at the beast, blades bared.

_“Make the clock reverse.”_

(“Elsa.” Anna’s voice is surprisingly calm. “You have to learn to let go, move forward. Let people help you.”

Elsa stops, staring at her sister. She doesn’t know what to do.)

Elrena rakes her blades across its eyes, making it reel back with a roar. She roars back in wordless fury.

_“Bring back what once was mine.”_

(Their mother's mirror. The precious heirloom. The monsters fuel. Anna's stolen memory that she'd tried for so long to fix.

That, more than anything, makes her realise what she must do.

“Okay.” Elsa whispers. Elrena and the beast continue to trade blows in the background as Elsa raises her hands, frost coating them. Spikes of ice burst from the ground and ceiling, crushing the mirror with force and sending shards of glass flying.)

_“Heal what has been hurt,”_

The beast roars one final time as Elrena brings down both her body and her strongest lightning upon it, and it dissolves before it even hits the ground.

Anna gasps softly, leaning against her sister.

Elrena turns towards Rapunzel, the glare on her face born of anger and despair.

_“Change-”_

“Stop.” Elrena demands sharply, stalking towards her. Rapunzel jerks, surprised.

“What?”

“Just.. stop.” Elrena says again, standing over her. She kneels to gather Lauriam into her arms. Then, quieter- “I won’t be made to hope again. I can’t take it anymore.”

Rapunzel reaches up to grab her sleeve before she can stand.

“Please.” She begs. “Please just let me try.”

Elrena looks her in the eyes, the two sharing a long moment of impasse before Elrena slowly sets the body back down.

“He’ll know where to find me.” Elrena says. “If not… Well. He always wanted to feed the flowers.”

She stands, and walks away, leaving the room entirely as the others watch on. Her steps recede into the distance, and a moment later the familiar sound of a portal opening and closing reaches their ears.

“Why would she…?” Sora wonders. Haru shakes his head.

“We all deal in our own ways, I guess.” He answers, turning his gaze back to Rapunzel.

She takes a deep breath, eyes closed. She puts her hands back on his ruined vest, expression cracking as she feels the ugly wound beneath once more.

 _“Heal what has been hurt.”_ She sings.

_“Change the fates design,”_

Sora bites his lips, anxious and worried despite their tumultuous history, something brittle crawls under his skin at the sight of Lauriam’s limp body. There’s a messy sort of grief from Ven and Vanitas, too difficult to parse on top of his own. Haru moves to stand a little closer to him and he appreciates it.

_“Save what has been lost,”_

Anna and Elsa hold tightly to each other, tense, Kristoff next to them.

_“Bring back what once was mine.”_

Ven reaches out, though he’s not sure for what, hope and fear curling in him. Vanitas forms beside him, a silent wraith but for the same feelings coursing through him.

_“What once… was mine.”_

The room lights up gold.

-

“So..” They stand in the grass of an empty meadow, only small clumps of snow remaining in the shadows, most of it dissolved as Elsa had dispersed it, the world returning to it’s natural early fall weather. Anna stands close to her sister, who keeps one hand gently resting on Rapunzel’s arm in support. Sora and Haru wait to one side as the kidnapped princess stares down her former captor with a hard won confidence.

Lauriam does not show his discomfort, elegant even in the face of his mistakes. He takes a steadying breath.

“I promise not to bother you again, Princess. My grief and panic are no excuse for what I did to you.” He bows stiffly to Rapunzel, who frowns, conflicted.

“I won’t say it’s okay, because it’s.. Well, it’s not. But you did also kind of die for me so uh. I guess we’ll call it even?”

“More than I deserve.” The man says softly. “I assume you will take her home?” Lauriam directs his gaze at Sora, who nods.

“Yeah, we’ll get her home safe.”

“Thank you.” Lauriam inclines his head. “Safe journey’s, Princess.”

He turns to walk away.

“I hope you find a way to help your sister.” Rapunzel calls out impulsively.

Lauriam’s step stutters but he doesn’t stop, vanishing into a portal moments later.

 _“I’m surprised you guys didn’t want to say anything to him.”_ Roxas says from within Sora’s heart.

 _“There wasn’t… really anything to say.”_ Ven murmurs. Vanitas says nothing at all, a complicated nest of emotions under the surface tightly leashed.

Sora turns to Rapnuzel.

“Ready to go home and see Eugene?” He asks brightly, and her whole body sags in relief.

“More than _anything.”_

Elsa reaches down to take Rapunzel’s hands.

“Thank you.” She says. “Things.. Are different now, and it’s thanks to you.”

“Different is good.” Rapunzel smiles softly. “It’s scary, I know.. But now you’ve got a whole world of possibilities ahead of you. We _both_ do.”

Elsa hesitates, biting her lip, and then throws her arms around Rapunzel. The other woman returns the embrace gratefully, hugging her tightly before releasing. She pulls away.

“Maybe I’ll see you again someday?” Rapunzel asks. Elsa’s smile is worn, but present.

“Maybe.”

Rapunzel turns to Sora,

“Ready?” He asks with an understanding smile.

She nods.

-

Elsa and Anna watch them go, and as they too vanish into the underbrush Anna turns to her sister.

“I remember now.”

Elsa blinks, and then draws away as the implications of that hit her. Anna grabs her arm and pulls her back before she can leave completely.

“What happened wasn’t your fault.” Anna says. “I won’t say I understand all this magic stuff, but I won’t let you keep pushing me out because you’re afraid. We’re in this together.”

Elsa’s eyes grow wet.

“What if I hurt you again?”

“Then we deal with that if and when it happens.” Anna says. “You can’t keep doing this because of what _might_ happen. Please, Elsa.”

“Okay.” Elsa whispers. “I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask.”

-

Lauriam walks out into a field of flowers, bursting with every kind and colour he could name and then some.

In the middle of it on the stump of a tree sits a familiar figure, staring listlessly over the horizon.

“Elrena.” He calls, and she jerks her gaze to him.

A number of emotions cross her face in turn and nearly too quickly to catch. Anger, relief, disbelief, anger again. She stands, turning to face him fully and stalking up to him.

“You ever do that again I will _not_ forgive you.” She jabs a pointed finger into his chest meaningfully. He gives a small smile.

“Fair enough.” He opens his arms and though she still looks angry her lip wobbles at the gesture.

“Asshole.” She mumbles into his chest as she accepts the hug.

“I know.” He answers.

-

Sora watches Eugene and Rapunzel reunite from afar, babbling and hugging and kissing each other in turn, a wistful smile on his face.

“Think they’ll be okay now?” Haru asks. Sora nods.

“Yeah. They’ll be fine as long as they’ve got each other.”

“Where to next?” Haru follows as Sora turns to lead the way back to the gummiship. Sora shrugs.

“Dunno.” He answers cheerily. “Time to find out.”

-

Eraqus lays on his front, looking over the edge of the cliff with his chin in his hands.

“Seems a bit overkill, don’t you think?” He says to his companion, who sits cross legged next to him, also watching the valley below.

“Three versions of myself- possibly more, if those other two men are related somehow too.”

There’s a clash from below. Young Master Xehanort taunts his opponent with sass, and Saïx doesn’t rise to it, merely bringing his weapon to the fore once more.

“And so many names!” Eraqus chuckles. “You’d think there would be less variation knowing exactly what you end up with.”

“I won’t remember it when we go back.” The boy dressed in black points out. “Besides. Maybe the only reason I chose it was because I felt like I had to.”

Eraqus frowns.

“Well that’s no fun. I thought the whole point was to have a name _you_ chose.”

“Well, I did. I guess?” The other boys hums thoughtfully. “Some version of me did.”

“Ugh, this is all so confusing.” Eraqus rolls onto his back. “How long do you think until this whole battle thing is done and we can go home?”

“Missing school already?” His friend teases. Eraqus pouts.

“You know I never miss a moment, except when I do.” Eraqus pokes his tongue out. “Nah. I miss the others I guess. Even if they never let up on me.”

“You do it to yourself.” The boy's silver hair flutters in the air as he snorts at Eraqus. Eraqus just shrugs with a grin.

They stay in silence for a long time. Saïx and Xehanort clash again as they train.

“Does this place, these badlands, ever feel familiar to you?” The boy in black asks at length. Eraqus blinks up at him.

“No?” He tilts his head. “Does it to you?”

“Yeah. Like an old dream I used to have a lot.” He shrugs. “It’s probably just a coincidence.”

“Probably.” Eraqus agrees, closing his eyes.

The other boy stays where he is, staring down into the ravine in some forgotten corner of the Keyblade Graveyard, silver eyes intent on the figures below.

How soon until his eyes turn gold, he wonders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's that subplot wrapped up! whew, it definitely ran away on me a bit, but it was the good kind of running away. i got to do a lot of things with it that im pretty happy with, including stuff ideally id like to continue expanding on in the future. thats for the future though. next up, monsters inc!


	14. Not though we have to seize earth by the pole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monsters Inc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not so many liberties taken with this world, i'd hit a bit of a wall after finishing up the frozen section, but not to worry. i managed to get back into the swing of things by the next chapter.
> 
> .... also i'm very sorry for being vague on haru's monster form. i meant to brainstorm and draw concepts for it after i was done the chapter (and then going back and adjusting the writing to fit as needed) and just never got to it. life started hitting a downturn at this point in the writing process and it never really let up * nudges the single written chapter i have done of part 9 under the bed out of sight *
> 
> anyway, feel free to imagine him as the monster form of your choice

This new world almost reminds Sora a little bit of Halloweentown, if Halloweentown had an ethics committee and a slightly brighter colour palette.

Though where in Halloweentown their forms had been usually based on something- vampire, mummy, etc, these forms are more… unique. Sora doesn’t know what he is exactly, and he definitely doesn’t know what Haru is, but they’re both certainly some kind of monster. He wonders how many types of creatures there are in this world.

A question that only grows when he meets Sully, Mike and the adorable little Boo.

“Look don’t tell anyone she’s here, okay? You work here? We can give you a vacation.” Mike tries to bribe, but Sora isn’t really listening, too busy playing with and making silly faces at Boo.

“Chill out Mike, I don’t think they work here, but they seem nice enough. You guys do understand though, right? We’re working on changing things around this place, but we’re really still not supposed to be spending time with her and we want to keep it on the down low.” Sully pats Mike on the head.

“Sure, we get it.” Haru answers. They absolutely do not get it and have almost no idea what Sully is talking about, but world hopping has taught them the valuable skill of rolling with a situation. “We won’t tell anyone.”

“Thanks.” Sully smiles.

Sora makes a face and blows a raspberry, making Boo giggle brightly.

Something in the air shifts, not in a good way, and Sora stops, suddenly tense.

Dark puddles sprout all around them, creatures pulling themselves out of them in quick succession, and Sora feels something he hasn’t felt from Vanitas in a very long time.

Pure, broken, panic.

_“Unversed?”_ Ven asks in disbelief. _“Van?”_

_“No- No that’s not possible.”_ Vanitas. _“Those aren’t mine. They **can’t** be.”_

“Could someone else have made them?” Sora asks as he falls into a battle stance. Haru settles in beside him while Sully and Mike take Boo in hand and run with her.

_“Not possible. They came from me.”_ Vanitas whispers. _“From my shattered heart.”_

A moment later Vanitas’ form appears in the air before them, and for a few seconds the Unversed hesitate, milling in confusion.

Vanitas jerks a hand out, willing them to dispel.

There almost seems a back and forth between Vanitas and the creatures, but it doesn’t last. One of the smaller ones throws itself at him and he smacks it away with his blade, making it dissolve before it can even hit the ground.

The action prompts the rest to burst into movement, and the battle is joined.

Between the three of them it’s a short battle, and when it’s done Sora looks to Vanitas with concern.

“You okay?” He asks. Vanitas shakes his head and then vanishes without speaking further.

“Sora?” Haru asks, and Sora belatedly realizes that Haru has even less of an idea what’s going on than he does. Still, he sees Sully and Mike approaching and gives a small shake of his head. ‘I’ll tell you later.’ the little movement says, and Haru gives a nod of acceptance in return.

“You guys sure know how to handle yourselves!” Sully compliments. “I don’t suppose we can ask you a favour?”

“Sure!” Sora chirps. “What can we do?”

“It’s obvious this place ain’t safe anymore.” Mike takes over. “Which means we need to get Boo home.”

“We can do a little bit of fighting ourselves.” Sully smiles, baring sharp teeth. “But if you could help us get Boo home safely we’d really appreciate it.”

“Absolutely.” Haru nods, giving the small child an affectionate smile.

“Yeah, we’d be happy to help!” Sora grins.

“Thank you.” Sully says gratefully. “Come on, it’s not too far, we just need to get to Boo’s door.”

Sully leads the way, Mike close behind. The short hall feels much longer when it’s filled with Unversed, but they make good time, and even get to talk a little in between.

“So this is a company?” Haru asks, taking in the clean and organized nature of the building. Sully nods.

“Monsters Incorporated. I’m the CEO actually. We used to use scream power from kids to run our grid, but thanks to Boo we found that laughter is actually much stronger. Some people have been a little skeptical, but we’ve been making really good strides in changing things around here.”

“That sounds great.” Sora grins. He only kind of understands the technicalities, but the overall message is clear. Still, something inside feels twisted. He wonders if it’s Vanitas.

_“Kinda funny it’s a place like this that we’re seeing the Unversed.”_ Ven hums. Sora quirks his head just enough to indicate a question to his heartmate he knows is watching without drawing the attention of Sully and Mike.

_“Because they’re negative emotions.”_ Ven clarifies. _“That’s why they’re called the Unversed. They’re the manifestations of wild, negative emotions. Or at least that’s how Master Eraqus explained it to me. Vanitas has never told me otherwise.”_

Which didn’t necessarily mean a whole lot, Vanitas was notoriously close-lipped even now about things so personal, but until Vanitas spoke himself that was what they had to run with.

He hopes he has the chance to pester Vanitas about it later, but they’re a bit busy at the moment.

The massive room filled with machines and doors is full of Unversed, scittering all over the machinery and generally making a mess. Weapons are bared and the group makes short of work of them too. Something inside Sora twists again.

_“At least it doesn’t hurt.”_ He hears Vanitas whisper, and Sora wonders if he was supposed to hear that.

“Vani?” He asks as he brings his blade down on one of the last stragglers. Vanitas doesn’t answer.

The Unversed cleared, Mike runs up to the machines, swiping cards through them, and they watch as several doors are brought down.

“Alright, we gotta do this the Interesting way. Ready for a ride?” Mike grins at them. Haru raises an eyebrow.

“Why not just pull Boo’s door here?” He asks. Sully comes up, Boo on one shoulder.

“Boo’s door isn’t in the system, as a safety precaution.” He answers. “We had her door here earlier, but it’s gone now, which means someone moved it back into the repository.”

“And that means we have to go after it manually. Trust me when I say this is the fastest way.” Mike sighs. “Hope you guys don’t mind heights.”

“We’ll be fine.” Sora gives a thumbs up. “Let’s go!”

(Haru didn’t think he minded heights until he was hanging over a near endless abyss holding onto a door with heartless and unversed harassing them.

He thinks he minds heights now.)

Still, they make it through the maze of doors safely enough, and he takes a deep sigh of relief when they hit solid ground again.

“Boo’s door!” Sully runs towards it, slipping through the almost too-small door. The others follow him.

“Thank stars.” Haru breathes, and Sora glances at him. “I never want to do that rail thing ever again.”

Sora just laughs.

When they get through the door, however, it is clearly no child's room they’re in. In fact as the group glances around in confusion, it looks like another part of the monster factory.

“What the-” Sully frowns.

“This is not Boo’s room.” Mike agrees.

“Nope.” A new voice says. “You’d think you idiots would learn to look twice after everything.”

The group turns to face the door they’d just come through, and a lithe purple figure appears as if from thin air, making Mike and Sully scowl and Boo to make childish growling noises.

“Randall?” Mike points. “We banished you! How’d you get here?”

“Oh you know.” Randall shrugs. “Had some help, but that’s not the important part here. The important part is how I’m gonna get my revenge on you.”

“In your dreams Randall.” Sully says.

“Yeah, what do you even hope to accomplish?” Mike follows. 

“Well first I’m gonna take you out of the equation.” Randall says ominously as he vanishes into the air once more. “And then I’m gonna take this company and change it around a bit.”

“Of course you are.” Mike sighs. “Good luck collecting laughs with that attitude.”

Randall barks a laugh of his own, and Sora looks up, the sound coming from above.

“Who said anything about laughs?” Randall chuckles. “You think kids are happy forever? Fear had the same problem. It’s a here and gone again emotion, and it won’t last. You know what does?”

“I almost don’t want to ask.” Haru mutters with a frown.

“Sadness.” Randall doesn’t need real prompting to gloat. “You break a kids heart and they’ll be sad _forever_. And that will run our power forever too.”

“Where do you even get these ideas?” Sully demands in disbelief. Randall chuckles again, though his voice is quickly fading as he gets further away.

“I did say I had a little help.”

And then it’s clear that he’s gone. Sully and Mike start talking to each other rapid-fire, discussing the consequences of Randalls plan and how he might be planning to accomplish it. Sora isn’t listening, a tight feeling in his chest. He tugs on Haru’s sleeve to get his attention.

“Give me a minute.” He mutters, and to Haru it’s clear what he means. If Sully and Mike notice he’s missing, play distraction until he gets back.

Sora jumps up some boxes, going into the next room over for some privacy. It looks like a break room of some kind, and thankfully it’s empty.

“Vanitas?” Sora asks.

_“They’re not mine.”_ Vanitas answers. _“Or at least, they’re less mine than they are someone else's.”_

“What did you mean by they don’t hurt?”

Silence for a moment as Vanitas struggles to answer.

_“It always hurt before.”_ Vanitas says, a little sharply. _“When they died. These one’s don’t.”_

Ventus has a sharp intake of breath.

_“Van-”_ He starts, but Vanitas cuts him off.

_“Don’t.”_ Is all he says. _“I don’t want to hear it. Whatever these are Sora, they’re something else. They **have** to be.”_

“Are you sure you’re okay, Van?” Sora asks. “You feel-”

_“Leave it alone.”_ Vanitas bites out, and Sora is caught off guard by the anger in it.

Sora falls silent.

A thud and an ‘ow’ ring through his head.

_“You’re being a jerk.”_ Xion huffs. Sora feels the curl of regret. He’s been feeling a lot of Vanitas’ runoff since entering this world, and he wonders if it’s just the situation getting to him. It wasn’t like Vanitas to let his feelings run into Sora.

_“... I guess.”_ Vanitas mumbles. _“Something about all this… I don’t know. It’s wrong. Familiar. I hate it and I can’t explain it.”_

“It’s okay.” Sora forgives despite the lack of apology. He knows better than to expect one from Vanitas. He also knows Vanitas will chill out now- or at least try to. “We’ll figure out what’s going on.”

_“Better get going.”_ Roxas speaks up. _“The others are gonna start wondering where you went soon.”_

“Right.” Sora turns to rejoin the group, and finds them looking expectantly at him.

“Ready to go?” Thankfully whatever excuse Haru had used for him brought no extant questioning, and they all turn to go without another word.

The next few rooms make it clear what Randall had meant by revenge. The whole place has been booby-trapped, and all the machinery tinkered with to make them absolutely deadly. It’s a bit touch and go for a bit- with Sora and Haru rushing on ahead to destroy or disable the offending machines while Sully and Mike keep Boo safe, but they manage to make it through with a minimum of burns and scrapes.

“Sorry about all this.” Sora rubs his cheek as he looks over the thoroughly destroyed control panel. Sully shrugs.

“We can fix it later, we’ll just have to adjust the budget. It’s more important no one gets hurt and we get Boo home safe.”

“Exactly.” Mike agrees. “Even if I am _not_ looking forward to balancing those books later…”

The side track to a completely different area of the factory means they have to take some unique turns in order to get to Boo’s door, and the Unversed are a continued problem as they run up and around and even outside for a bit.

“They set my company on fire!” Mike grouses. “I swear when I get my hands on that Randall-”

They finally make it back to the door vault, and it’s apparent that the real work has only just begun.

“Alright, let’s find Boo’s door.” Sully says, and Haru balks.

“We have to search them all manually?” He asks. “There’s thousands in here!”

“More than that.” Mike admits. “But it’ll be in the recent uses section, so it shouldn’t actually take all that long.”

“Not so fast.” Randall steps into the light, a grin plastered across his smarmy face. “You think I’d let you get away that easily?”

“Randall.” Sully sighs, taking Boo off his shoulder and pushing her behind him. “Haven’t you given up yet?”

“Wha- y-” Randall stutters. “You know I never give up! That’s my whole thing!” He shouts, utterly offended.

“Maybe you should try it.” Mike says flatly. “Might do you some good.”

Randall just growls.

“Doesn’t matter. I have just the thing to take you down a notch.” Randall snaps his fingers, and the machine behind him stutters and grows, dark goop dripping from the edges, malice and a deep, soul rending despair welling from it.

Sora hunches a little at the force of the feeling, making Haru reach out a hand to steady him.

“Sora, you okay?”

“Fine, just-” Sora takes a deep breath to steady himself. “You feel that?”

“Feel what?” Haru quirks his head.

Sora doesn’t have time to answer though as the Unversed charges, scattering the group, and the battle begins.

_“What’s going on?”_ Roxas asks as Sora dodges another charge, voice strained as they all feel the overwhelming rage and despair emanating off the monster.

_“I don’t know.”_ Xion sounds breathless, but dealing with the feeling slightly better by the sounds of it. _“Vanitas?”_

_“I-”_ Vanitas doesn’t finish, words strangled.

_“I thought you said you couldn’t feel them?”_ Ven rasps, the most unused to these sorts of overpowering feelings and thus feeling it the most.

_“I said I couldn’t feel them **die**.” _Vanitas growls. _“The cycle is broken but the start and end points are still there.”_

_“That doesn’t make any sense!”_ Ven cries, frustration bleeding into his voice.

Sora throws the highest power thundaga he can at it, dodging again as the monster sinks into the ground and spawns a litany of creepy hands to swipe and grab at him.

“It doesn’t matter if- ah!- it makes sense or not.” Sora pants, destroying one of the hands with a well timed strike. The monster erupts from the ground with a mournful shriek. “It’s happening!”

A moment later, the feeling is cut off, and Sora nearly stumbles from the sudden shift.

“What happened?” He asks as he focuses on the Unversed, cutting through it’s goopy body with hard strikes.

_“Van went below.”_ Xion answers.

Sora doesn’t need it explained what that means for what they had all been feeling. It was clear the connection was through Vanitas, though none of them, including Vanitas himself, were sure how.

He can still feel it, a little, just on the edges of his senses. A deep, overpowering sadness that rings like the toll of Notre Dame’s bells at a distance. It no longer pulls at his limbs, makes his attention suffer for its strength though, and that is a boon as the creature lashes out again and again.

He wonders, with how powerful those feelings were to them, how much stronger it was for Vanitas himself. Or for the person who made it.

Vanitas had always been careful not to let his emotions overflow into Sora, even in the beginning when none of them had known what they were doing. Clearly that was not the case here.

As Sora strikes the final blow and the creature melts into the floor… He feels sad. Not the despair that had been emanating off the Unversed like a miasma, but.. Almost regret. He had killed it- had no choice but to kill it, and it had never known anything but the overwhelming despair that had spawned it.

That was sad in it’s own right, Sora thinks as he watches it die.

“No!” Randall runs up to the scattered bits that remain. “No no no no! Get up you useless pile of junk!” He kicks at it, and the parts of machinery of course don’t respond.

Sully rolls his eyes and marches up to the lizard. It’s a simple thing to frog-march him further into the door vault. Simpler still to find the obviously reconstructed door that he had escaped from and send him back through once more.

“Goodbye, Randall.” Sully says. “Don’t come back.”

“You’ll never hear the last of me.” Randall snarls. Mike pushes him through without fanfare, shutting the door behind him.

Sora seals it shut. If Randall wants to come back now, he has no choice but to find an entirely different way.

They walk further into the Vault, back to looking for Boo’s door, and walking behind the others where they can’t see Sora signs to his watching heartmates.

-Vanitas?- The signs for ‘dark’ and ‘friend’.

_“Still below.”_ Roxas answers. _“I’ll get him.”_

There’s a few long minutes of silent waiting, sorting through doors, and cheering as Mike finds it. He watches on as Mike inputs the codes to send it to the laugh floor. They’re riding the doors back- Haru looking a little green as they go- when Sora feels Vanitas’ return.

“You okay?” Sora asks only loud enough to be heard by his heartmates over the grind of the rails.

_“No.”_ Vanitas answers shortly. _“I have a bad feeling.”_

“Me too.” Sora admits. “Probably not for the same reasons, but… Something is going on here.”

The doors fall into place, and the group hops off, ready to put an end to this little adventure, only for a figure in a familiar black coat to be there waiting for him.

“Great.” Haru huffs. “The organization. What a surprise.”

It’s very much not a surprise at this point. The figure steps forward, and the hood comes down.

_“Wait- how?”_ Ven stammers. Van is utterly, deathly silent.

“So.” Vanitas- and there was no mistaking that helmet- starts. “Here you are. How fun.”

Van, the one of Sora’s heart, swirls into existence, facing down this other version of himself, tension rolling off him.

The smaller Vanitas barks a laugh.

“He was right!” He snarks. “Oh, isn’t that funny. How does it feel, to be so close and yet so _far_ from being whole? For so _long?_ Pathetic.”

Van grows only more tense, and Unchained appears in one hand. Vanitas takes note of the different blade with interestingly little surprise.

“He doesn’t need Ven to be whole.” Sora answers for him. “He’s a whole person on his own.”

“Shut up.” Vanitas snarls. “You don’t know anything, and I _refuse_ to become trapped in another prison like _you.”_

_“He’s from the past.”_ Ven puts the pieces together first. _“Riku said Xehanort talked about pulling pieces from the past- this must be what he meant.”_

Van continues to float still and silent between Vanitas and Sora. He makes only one movement, to raise his blade towards his younger self.

_‘You will.’_

“I won’t!” Vanitas snarls. “I will be whole again! None of you can stop me!”

He raises his blade as if to swing, but is halted as Sully grabs him from behind, pinning the boy solidly and throwing him through an open door in one smooth motion. Mike has the idea to throw that door through several other doors, and with that the situation is done.

Neither Sora nor Vanitas move through the whole thing.

Mike dusts his hands.

“Well, I have no idea what all that was about, but that takes care of that.” He grins.

Sora looks up at Van.

“Vani?” He asks. Vanitas signs nothing, doesn’t answer at all except to float over to one of the nearby desks and bring Unchained down on it as hard as he can, splitting it cleanly in two.

“Woah, hey!” Sully shouts. “What are you doing?”

“Yeah don’t make us send you through a door too, whatever you are.” Mike threatens. Sora lifts his hands and puts himself between them. Vanitas brings his blade down again. Wood and metal splinter and bend below it.

“It’s okay- it’s- well it’s complicated.” Sora tries to de-escalate as Vanitas works out his frustrations on inanimate objects. Sora winces at a particularly loud crash. “We can pay for that?”

“You better. Jeez what’s their problem?” Mike huffs, crossing his arms as he watches Vanitas go to town on the unfortunate desk. Sora sighs.

It really is a long story. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly its like the moment vanitas even contemplates having hope that he's moved on from his past it turns up just to torment him again


	15. And, tired of aimless circling in one place,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> San Fran Sokyo... kind of. Our heroes need a rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's actually a little eerie just how well some of these chapter names synced up tbh
> 
> this was the point that xemnas took the reigns of his own character development and i just kinda let him bc i had absolutely no idea where he was going with it. somehow this worked out.

San Fran Sokyo is really very cool, but they all need a break.

Thankfully after the initial heartless attack they have some time to do just that. Hiro is kind enough to lend his garage as a place to unwind for a bit. Hiro and his team are of course often out and about doing the Big Hero Six thing, and while Sora and Haru are happy to help, there is something infinitely nice about sinking onto a ratty couch and just laying there for a few minutes.

“Hiro wants to do some training thing tonight.” Haru says from a similar position on the other side of the couch. “Can I vote we push it to tomorrow? I never want to get up again.”

“Me too.” Sora groans. They’d hardly had a moment to rest since… Corona? He wants to think they got to sleep somewhere in there, but it doesn’t feel like it. He’s bone tired. They all are.

Vanitas had retreated since leaving Monstropolis and none of them have seen him since. Sora is more than a little worried about him. The others are all tense. Xion is spacing out again and he has no idea what’s going on with that either. And none of that takes into account the ever present tick tick tick of passing time as his window to regain the Power of Waking closes.

Sora just wants to sleep. He doesn’t want to deal with all this anymore. This endless journey that’s he’s never going to complete because he keeps getting sent back-

Back? Sora ponders that thought in the way only the truly exhausted can. It's kind of a weird thought, but maybe he just meant being sent back in his own growth- losing his powers over and over. That makes sense, right?

There’s the unique sound of a portal opening, and Sora manages to lift his head in time to see Lea step through.

“Jeez, bad time?” He asks. “You guys look rough.”

“Been a rough couple of worlds.” Haru grumbles. “Think Hiro would let us raid his fridge? I’m starving.”

“I think he said we could.” Sora says vaguely. “I was too busy looking at the couch.”

“I’ll replace whatever I take later.” Haru decides as he gets up. “Hi, Lea.”

Lea gives a distracted wave, turning back to Sora.

“No, really, should I come back?” He asks. In answer Roxas forms in front of him, shaking his head emphatically.

“Hey Roxas. No Xion?”

“She’s been-” Sora yawns. “Spacing again.”

Lea frowns.

“Still no idea what’s going on with her?”

Roxas shakes his head sadly. Lea pats his shoulder.

“Ah, don’t worry. We’ll figure it out. In the meantime we should leave sleepyhead here to rest. Let’s talk outside.” Lea leads the apparition out the garage door, closing it behind him with a clatter. Sora lays his head down, wanting more than anything to sleep.

… He can’t.

That fact is, quite frankly, infuriating at this point.

He listens to the gentle murmurs of Lea and Roxas talking outside. He can catch the occasional word or sentence here and there, but between the metal wall’s muffling effect and Sora’s own exhaustion it’s only bits and pieces. He’s not too worried about it, not really having any interest in eavesdropping, but as sleep continues to evade him he can’t help but tune into the distant conversation sometimes.

Most of it is simple chatter. Updates on their respective journey’s, checking up on each other, that sort of thing. Sometimes a recollection of some memory from the organization that makes Lea laugh. A few stories about Isa from Lea’s youth, though these are always spoken so softly that Sora can barely even catch what they’re about. He knows the tone though, one of love and longing.

It makes Sora’s heart ache for missing his own friends.

He hopes Riku and Kairi are doing better than him on their quest right now. He fiddles with the phone in his pocket for a moment but doesn’t pull it out. Still no service where they were, and Data Sora had been all but silent since going to the Chipmunks for help finding Data Riku. He’d come back recently with almost nothing to show for it, and had been quiet and depressed ever since.

Just another thing Sora was failing at. He’d promised to find Data Riku, and what had he done? Nothing. It bites at him, that he doesn’t know what to do.

“... don’t like the kid…” Lea’s voice is muffled as Sora tunes back in, trying to distract himself from morose thoughts. “Can’t wait… see you on… own.”

Silence as Roxas answers. Lea chuckles.

“Course. Need… without Sora.”

Oh.

Sora turns over, facing the musty cushions of the couch, not wanting to listen anymore.

Why _would_ Lea like him, really? He’d stolen both his closest friends from him. It was only fair. He couldn’t expect everyone to like him, even if what happened wasn’t his fault. Roxas hadn’t liked him at first either. That was fine.

Would Lea demand Roxas and Xion not see Sora anymore once they were separated? Sora doesn’t like that thought. He doesn’t think either of his heartmates would put up with that, but even the possibility sends a stinging sensation through his chest.

He does pull his phone out this time.

 _SunshineSora:_ howr u doing?

 _MiniMe:_ i miss him

Sora could relate.

 _SunshineSora:_ im sorry we havnt found much yet but we will. Promise.

 _MiniMe:_ i know. Thank you for trying.

 _SunshineSora:_ wanna look at meow wow videos with me?

He’d made a trip to the sleeping realms shortly after his failed exam to see his dream eaters. He hadn’t been able to take his phone with him during the exam, but he’d made it work afterwards, and nearly completely filled his storage with videos and pictures.

 _MiniMe:_ yes pls.

-

Saïx hears the approach of boots, turning from where he is overseeing the puppets training.

“Lord Xemnas.” He barely manages to mask his surprise in time as the former superior walks up. Xemnas waves a slow hand in a sort of ‘stand down’ gesture.

“There is no need for that. No Lord of any Castle am I here.”

“Xemnas, then.” Saïx inclines his head. “What brings you to this place?”

Xemnas hesitates, and it is so strange that Saïx wonders if he’s comprehending the moment properly. Xemnas was fond of long, dramatic pauses, but hesitation had never been part of his repertoire.

“Is it so strange that I merely wished to see you?”

“Yes.” Saïx replies without need to ponder. Xemnas’ eyes slide away from him at that, landing on where the puppet continues to go through the motions of a berserker in training.

The silence lingers, and doubt worms it’s way into Saïx the longer it goes on. The strangeness of the situation puzzles him.

“I asked once who I was without those that made me.” Xemnas speaks quietly. “And was told in essence that this was something I would have to figure out.”

Saïx glances at him, wondering what goal Xemnas was pursuing with this.

Another long pause.

“May I ask you a question?”

Saïx inclines his head, though internally he wonders at this. Xemnas was not one given to asking permission in Saïx’s experience.

“Do you see a separation between yourself as a nobody, and yourself as human?”

Saïx has to think about that for a moment.

“That is a complicated question.” He admits. “I think ultimately that the answer is no. Myself as a nobody _is_ who I am as a human, with vital components stripped from it. Those components return with time if they are allowed to, and so I see no reason to fully separate the two. My sins as a nobody will be mine as a human.” He’s not fully sure why he’s telling Xemnas this, but this is an odd talk altogether.

“I see.” Xemnas murmurs. Saïx’s brows furrow, curiosity welling within him.

“You do not?”

“I remember not my time as a human being. In truth much like Roxas I am unsure if myself as I am ever was one.” Xemnas closes his eyes. “The life of connections and feelings is one I have never known, one I believed I _would_ never know.”

How sad, Saïx thinks.

“And knowing now that a heart may grow?” He asks. Xemnas’ gaze finally returns to him, meeting Saïx’s eyes in all their intimidating golden-orange glory.

“Is that not why I am here?” Xemnas speaks. “To understand what I have, in my ignorance, missed all these years?”

Saïx remembers being struck down by the someone this very man had originated from. Remembers the awful conditions they had been put through for nearly a decade. The situation they are in now as a result. He feels a coiling anger and shoves it aside. He will deal with that later.

Xemnas’ actions had hurt them all; this was true. Xemnas was a victim himself in a very strange way. This was also true.

Saïx does not think he can accept this stunted, roundabout offer of friendship yet.

“You are learning.” Saïx is the one to turn his gaze away this time. “That is admirable. I do not think I can be the one to teach you, however. Not now.”

Xemnas inclines his head in the smallest of bows.

“Very well.”

The crunch of boots as he walks away.

Saïx doesn’t know if his choice was correct. The balance between reaching out to heal and protecting himself from further hurt was not one he had ever been particularly adept at. Still, the decision was made. Perhaps someday it was a reconciliation he could accept.

But not now, as he watches over what he hopes will one day be Xion’s body. The friend of a friend he does not bother to hope will one day be a friend of his own. Not now, as he still hurts from a decade of life lost to the machinations of both himself and others, Xemnas himself included.

Likely he will never know whether he will be able to accept that offer. The fated battle fast approaches.

-

Ansem looks up as Xemnas approaches. Xemnas isn’t one given to shows of emotion, but Ansem seems to understand anyway.

“You can’t expect it so easily.” He says. Xemnas acknowledges it with stiff shoulders.

“I am aware.”

“What will you do now?”

“... I do not know.”

“Perhaps look beyond the people you once lorded over.” Ansem suggests, his flat look very nearly designed to rile the eternally placid Xemnas up.

“I am aware I did them wrong.” Xemnas snaps, or as close to snapping as he ever gets. “You do not need to keep reminding me.”

Ansem merely raises one eyebrow, making Xemnas turn away from him with a scoff.

“Will you try the boy, Zexion, next?” Ansem asks, leaning back against the rock wall he stands against, crossing his arms. Xemnas shakes his head.

“No. I saw him but once and it was clear he did not trust me, something that is only to be expected.” Xemnas sighs. “Perhaps you are correct. Our end approaches swiftly, and this is a fool's errand.”

“That is not what I said.” Ansem rolls his eyes. “Though I do think this whole excursion is exceedingly foolish.”

Xemnas waves one hand lazily. Semantics.

Ansem takes a long, deep breath, a hint of frustration bleeding into it.

“Go walk through a town or something.” Ansem suggests. Xemnas regards him doubtfully at the advice. “Your morose wandering is painful to watch. At least make conversation with some merchant vendor or something.”

Xemnas rolls his eyes, but gives no answer either in affirmation or rejection as he opens a dark portal and walks through it.

-

They spend two days in Hiro’s garage recuperating. On the third day the Microbots show up, and then it’s a mystery to solve. The group runs around the city but there’s no clues to where or how the Microbots had appeared.

And then as the groups gather once more in the garage, Sora gets a text that nearly makes him drop his phone.

 _riku!!!:_ back in ROL, too much to explain. meet in RG.

“Riku’s back.” Sora gasps, and then shouts. “Riku and Kairi are back!”

Hiro turns from where he’d been at his computer, puzzling over the Microbots.

“Those friends you’ve been waiting for?” He asks. Sora nods excitedly.

“I just got a text! They’re back!”

“You should go to them.” Honey Lemon steps forward with a smile. GoGo nods.

“Yeah. We can handle the Microbots.”

That makes Sora pause.

“Are you sure? I promised to help you guys.” Sora doesn’t like breaking his promises. In fact he hates it quite a bit.

“Ahhh don’t worry about us. We can take care of ourselves!” Fred makes some exaggerated kung fu motion. Wasabi nods.

“We _are_ professional Hero’s. This ain’t nothing we can’t deal with. Plus you can always come back after, yeah?”

“Right.” Sora says, smile returning. “I promise I’ll be back, at least to check up. I just gotta make sure they’re okay.”

“We get it.” Hiro steps forward. “And we’ll hold you to that. Come back soon, okay?”

“Promise.” Sora grins.

-

Xemnas stands at the top of a tall building, watching the city below, people and cars moving about like little more than ants he could crush with but a single misstep.

“Xehanort send you to check on me?” The boy next to him asks, annoyance in his tone. Xemnas shakes his head.

“No.”

“Then why are you here?”

Xemnas isn’t sure himself.

“It was recommended I… take a walk.”

“Bad place for a walk.” The boy snorts. Xemnas acknowledges the snark with the smallest twitch of his lips.

“There are, despite my every attempt at appearing otherwise, a great many things I do not know.”

The boy tilts his head, dramatically enough it can be seen even with his hood up. Xemnas makes a humming noise.

“You had a friend, did you not?”

The boy scowls.

“You know very well I did. Do. It’s why I’m here after all.”

“Of course.” Xemnas does not outwardly wince at his misstep. The silence drags on.

“What will you do, when the end comes?” Xemnas asks, changing tack. The boy frowns.

“I hope I get the chance to say I’m sorry. And that my backups work.”

“A brazen admission.” Xemnas comments. The boy shrugs.

“Xehanort doesn’t care, as long as we make his key. I don’t mind dying as long as some version of me can go back to Sora. My Sora.”

“A curious world and way of thinking.” Xemnas says. “I find myself jealous.”

“Could say the same of you.” His companion comments. “Flesh and bone have their advantages. Sometimes.” Though his tone indicates that those times were perhaps rare.

“They do.” Xemnas cannot argue the point however.

The boy looks at him long and hard from under his hood.

“What will _you_ do, when the end comes?” He returns the question, and Xemnas looks away.

“It is the end I was always destined for.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“No.” Xemnas admits. “I suppose it is not. The regret I find myself with, at lost opportunities, at the things I have done.. They weigh deeply, and I find there is no way forward, and no time to to attempt reparations. The nature of my creation makes my even tentative resurrection uncertain. What else can I do but simply wait for the end?”

The boy scoffs.

“You must be fun at parties.”

Xemnas frowns.

“Look.” The boy sighs. “You fucked up, right? I know we’re all basically just waiting to die at this stupid battle, but I still think you should keep trying. For… Whatever it is you’re trying to do. Giving up is a bad look.”

“Mh.” Xemnas hums. “And if giving up is what is wanted of me, by those I have harmed?”

“Well fuck, I don’t know.” The boy huffs. “I’m not exactly the king of social interaction here either, you know. Having things written in me isn’t the same thing as experiencing them. Sora was always better at it than me.”

“I understand.” Xemnas says. “I appreciate your insight nonetheless.”

“Yeah, sure.” The boy shrugs.

“Do you mind if I stay?” Xemnas asks. The boy lowers his hood, and the gesture feels like acceptance.

“Alright.” Data Riku allows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was i expecting a xemnas-data riku psuedo-intergenerational friendship to form when i wrote this story? no. am i kind of invested in it anyway? yeah maybe.
> 
> needless to say, sora absolutely _horribly_ misheard lea, who was saying something more along the lines of 'not that i don't like the kid, but i can't wait to see you on your own two feet again.' and 'of course. need all the help we can get after all, who knows where we'd be without sora.' sora's smart enough not to do anything stupid with this (unlike most sitcoms >>) but he's not about to try and find out what was *actually* said either, which is what he probably *should* do.


	16. Steer straight off after something into space.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqua's return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * party popper noise * happy halfway point~
> 
> time to see what riku and kairi have been up to.

“The trail ends here.” Riku toes as the waves gently lapping at the beach. “It always leads back here. What are we missing?”

Kairi bites her lip, thinking.

“Didn’t…” She hums, thinking back. “Didn’t we talk about how this realm is layered?”

“Yeah, though it’s mostly just a theory.” Riku admits. “But it sounds as likely as anything. Why?”

“What if we’re on the wrong layer?”

Riku looks across the dark waves, considering it.

“That would explain it.” He says. “But if that’s the case, how do we get there?”

“A connection?” Kairi whispers, and he glances over to her as her expression lights up. “A connection! Terra, you might be able to use your connection to bring us to the right layer!”

Terra manifests in a swirl of darkness, eager.

“Good idea, Kairi.” Riku smiles. “I think you might be onto something. Think you can do it, Terra?”

Terra doesn’t wait for further invitation, summoning his keyblade and pointing it out across the open water, light gathering at the tip. A portal springs to life, much like the many dark portals they’ve seen over the course of their adventures, though this one seems even more dark and ominous than usual.

Riku reaches out for Kairi’s hand.

“Ready?” He asks. She nods, taking it.

“Let’s bring her home.”

They step through the portal, water lapping at their ankles.

They come out onto the exact same beach, and they both look around in confusion.

“Did it work?” Kairi asks. Terra’s gaze is focused on the distance however, and he raises his arm to point.

In the distance across the still waters is a figure.

“Aqua.” Riku surmises, though she doesn’t quite look like the fuzzy memories of his youth.

“Oh no…” Kairi whispers as she takes in the ragged appearance of the once radiant Master she had known as a child.

“Visitors.” Aqua says lowly as she steps towards them. “The first I’ve seen. How… Strange.”

Terra floats forward, reaching, yearning. She doesn’t seem to see him.

“Welcome to the dark, children.” She says. “It will eat you alive.”

“Aqua we’re here to take you home.” Riku says, steeling himself. The aura Aqua gives off is oppressive. “Back to the realm of light.”

“Home?” She spits. “You’re here to rescue me after I’ve already given up? No.” Her keyblade comes to her hand in a flash of light.

“Aqua, we’re not here to fight you.” Kairi pleads. Terra makes a strangled noise. Aqua scoffs, the long strands of her hair falling haphazardly over her face and shoulders.

“You’re too _late.”_ She snarls, and then charges.

Riku barely manages to block, and the force of the strike still sends him flying, bouncing across the sand.

“Riku!” Kairi cries, bringing her blade of ice to bear as Aqua faces her next. “Alright fine. You want to do this the hard way?”

Aqua sends a flurry of spells at her, which she dodges handily.

“Let’s do this _the hard way!”_ Kairi shouts, jumping forward and bringing her blade down hard. Aqua dodges away with ethereal grace, but Kairi doesn’t let that stop her, blocking the return blow of ice crystals and ducking under the swing of her keyblade. She kicks out a foot to trip the older woman, making the wind rush from her lungs as she hits the ground.

Aqua flips upright with a flashy spin, finishing it with another flurry of spells in Kairi’s direction. She starts to throw a second volley before Kairi can recover from the first only to have to dodge away as Riku comes at her from the side, having recovered from his fall.

The two work in tandem, and though they have the advantage of good teamwork and numbers, Aqua is hardened by a decade in the dark and her own formidable power as a Master.

Terra plays mostly defensively, which isn’t really his strongest area, but he can’t seem to bring himself to strike Aqua, even just to disable. Riku can’t exactly blame him, though it is frustrating as Aqua hits them with blow after devastating blow.

Aqua leaps back, glowing with power, and Kairi grunts in frustration.

“Alright, kid gloves are off.” Kairi growls, glowing as she summons her armour made of light, surrounding herself with its protection.

Surprisingly, that makes Aqua pause.

“That’s not a keyblade…” She tilts her head, eyes narrowed. “Paladin?”

“What?” Riku doesn’t drop his stance, wary of whatever attack might come next. Aqua’s gaze turns to him.

“And the Light.” She murmurs. The glow grows. “It’s come… I should have known.”

“Aqua just stop!” Kairi cries. “We’re here to help!”

“It’s too late for me.” Anger and regret fill her tone. “I am just another test for you to pass.”

Power explodes outward, and Kairi moves in front of Riku, letting her armour absorb most of it. The moment it passes Riku darts around her, blade bared as he launches himself at Aqua, who blocks his first strike but not his second, grunting as she’s pushed back. He pushes his advantage, the two trading blows, keeping her from gathering the concentration needed to form spellwork.

Finally, Riku senses some change, and pauses.

Aqua sags, like every mote of energy had been stolen from her body. She looks up at Riku through her bangs, and Riku can see every moment of every year in the darkness written there.

She opens her mouth as if to speak, and then shakes her head.

She brings her blade up as if to try to strike him one last time, but it’s stopped by a large, dark hand wrapping itself around its shaft.

“Aqua.” Terra’s rough voice breaks. “Please.”

Her eyes widen, and tears well in those bright gold depths. She releases the blade entirely, leaving it held by Terra as she stumbles backwards, away from him.

“Terra…?”

He reaches out with his free hand. She shakes her head, taking another step back, her every movement slow and sluggish.

“I’m sorry.” She sobs, expression starting to break. “I’m sorry.”

As if from the waters below the dark crawls up her legs, drawing upward even as she sinks down into it, draping her in blank and empty shadows.

Terra floats down, dropping Master Defender by the wayside, reaching for Aqua.

“Please.” He rasps. “Come home.”

The shadows crawl over her body, her arms and shoulders, the white of her hair. She looks up at him, the gold of her eyes bright against the dark, tears falling desperately into the water below.

She takes his hand.

-

They lead Aqua out into the light of Destiny Islands, and she winces at the brightness the Islands have always had an abundance of. Riku can sympathize.

She raises a hand to shield her face, and he offers her his old blindfold. Aqua blinks yellow eyes at him, surprised.

“I’ve been there.” He says softly. “Though not for as long. It’ll help.”

“I’m surprised you still had that.” Kairi murmurs, to which Riku only shrugs.

Aqua takes it, hesitant, tying it around her face.

“Thank you.” She whispers, voice still rough from years of disuse, only herself to talk to.

“We’re here to help.” Kairi assures. “I’m sorry we couldn’t find you sooner.”

Aqua shakes her head, white hair fluttering with the movement.

“You’re just children, even if one of you is a Master. I shouldn’t have had to expect children to save me. I should have been able to save myself.”

Riku blinks, sharing a surprised glance with Kairi.

“I’m not a Master.” He corrects. Aqua’s head tilts in confusion, the ribbon across her eyes covering her surprise.

“You feel like one.” She says. “Why is that?”

“I took the test. I turned down the mark.” Riku answers, and Aqua makes a noise of understanding.

“A Master in all but title then.” She hums. “Even so, you’re much too young. I should not have had to rely on you so.”

“No.” Kairi rejects the notion. “We were trapped in the dark once too. It’s not something you can just.. Escape. We were lucky.”

Aqua smiles. It’s small, and tired, but it’s there, and it’s presence gives them both hope.

“Is Terra.. Can he hear me?” She asks as they lead her across the beach. They’re not sure why the beach of the Dark Realm and the one of Destiny Islands seem to be connected, but it’s a mystery for another day. Right now they need to figure out a way to get off world.

Neither of them really want to use a dark portal with Aqua only just recently rescued from said dark.

“Usually yes.” Riku answers. “But after being outside for a long time they have to sleep for a while after. It’s draining.”

“They?” Aqua asks, easily catching on to the word and what it might mean.

“Ah.” Riku realises Aqua doesn’t know- _couldn’t_ know. Barely knows why Terra is the way he is, let alone Ven.

“A lot’s happened since you fell into the dark.” Kairi gently takes over. “Ven is.. In a similar situation to Terra.”

Aqua’s steps stutter to a halt, and Kairi feels like if her eyes were not obscured by the blindfold they would be wide in disbelief.

“How?” Aqua croaks. Kairi rubs her shoulder, awkwardly.

“Sora saved him, when he was split in two.” Riku says. “So when his heart was nearly broken once more… It reached out for Sora again.”

Aqua stands still and silent.

“So he never woke up…” She whispers.

Riku and Kairi look at each other.

“Not his body.” Riku says. “But his heart was safe with Sora. We grew up with him and V-”

He stops with a grunt as Kairi trods on his foot.

Aqua’s brows furrow, not so oblivious as to miss the abrupt cut-off.

“Who?”

“She should know, Kairi.” Riku argues. “We can’t let it take her by surprise later.”

“I know that.” Kairi argues back. “But I think we should ease her into it. You remember the stories.”

“Who?” Aqua’s tone grows firm, demanding an answer now. Riku opens his mouth, pausing as Kairi puts a gentle hand on his bicep, silently asking permission. Riku nods, taking out his phone.

“I’ll text Mickey for a ride.”

Kairi looks back to the older woman, scarred and worn, so whittled down from the nice lady she has hazy memories of giving flowers to once.

“Ven wasn’t the only person to take shelter in Sora’s heart.” She says, voice as gentle as she can make it. “In fact there are four now, but you only know one of the others.”

“Stop dancing around it.” Aqua has had enough. “Tell me. I’m not some shrinking flower.”

“I know you two have a history, I just don’t want you to take it badly. Vanitas isn’t who he once was.”

Aqua’s breath stutters, and Kairi wonders what she’s seeing.

“Is Ven safe? What has he done?” Aqua leans forward with her intensity, and Kairi tries not to be intimidated.

“He’s fine, Vani’s never hurt anyone, I promise.” The scars along her arm were the worst he’d ever done to any of them, physically at least, and those had been an accident.

“I don’t believe that.” Aqua dismisses. “He’s just waiting for the right moment.”

Kairi takes a deep breath, and reminds herself that Aqua’s experience with Vanitas is much different than her own.

“He’s not. I know that must be difficult for you-” She tries, and Aqua snorts derisively. “But we grew up together. He’s definitely rough around the edges, and when we were really little…. Well, he wasn’t very nice. But he’s changed. He’s had the time to heal, I promise.”

“Heal?” Aqua doesn’t seem to know what to make of that. “He’s a manifestation of darkness. Healing has nothing to do with it.”

Kairi shakes her head.

“He is dark, yeah.” She says. “And I’m light. We’re still both people, and people can be hurt.”

Aqua is silent. Riku returns, tucking his phone away.

“Mickey’s on his way.” He says.

Aqua turns and walks away.

“... Didn’t go well?” Riku asks. Kairi chews on her lip.

“I’m not sure yet.”

-

Aqua dissolves into tears upon seeing Mickey- or, well, hearing him at least.

“Gosh, Aqua.” He says as he pulls her into a tight hug. “I missed you. I’m so sorry I couldn’t help you myself.”

“I wasn’t exactly in an easy place to find.” She responds quietly. “I’m so happy to see you again.”

“Me too.” Mickey rubs circles into her back as she kneels, shuddering with suppressed tears in his embrace. “I tried to find you, so many times, I swear.”

“I believe you.”

Riku quietly heads up to the ship's cockpit, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy following him just as silently, unwilling to interrupt the sweet reunion. He settles into the pilots seat, making Donald squawk once the cabin door is shut.

“Hey!” Donald pokes at the boy with his staff. “That’s my seat!”

Kairi giggles as Riku all but pouts. Donald pokes him again and Riku relents, getting up and relinquishing the seat to the duck.

He moves to stand next to Kairi as Donald preps the ship for takeoff, Goofy moving to assist him with his usual cheer. Kairi nudges Riku in the side.

“You wanna tell Sora we’re back, or should I?”

Riku’s phone is in his hand before she’s even finished speaking, making her laugh again. That answers that. He pauses though, staring at the little blinking text cursor.

“... What do I even say?” He says, stumped. Kairi makes a considering noise.

“It’s a lot to put in a text, huh? And we probably don’t want to risk a call in case he’s busy right now.” She hums. “Maybe just tell him we’ll meet him at the Garden, explain in person?”

He nods, typing out the short message and sending it off without fanfare, though his fingers hover over the keys like he wants to say more and isn’t sure how.

Kairi understands, resting her hand on his.

“Don’t overthink it.” She reassures. “Just say what comes from the heart, or wait until you can say it face to face.”

Riku nods, expression softening in thanks.

 _Roadtodawn:_ _see you soon_

_Roadtodawn: <3_

-

Data Sora sees the little Undelivered icon pop up and regards it curiously. He checks- Sora’s still in San Fran Sokyo, he should have some of the best reception in all the worlds. Why would these not go through?

Strange, but the technology was new, he supposes. He taps at it a little and finds the text corrupted, so he clears the pop-up and doesn’t worry about it. The first message about meeting in the garden had gone through at least, so they’d see each other face to face soon anyway. Nothing to worry about.

-

They arrive in the Garden first, and Mickey gives them the general update of what they’ve discovered, and it isn’t much. Ienzo has vanished, as has Data Riku. Mickey had run into DiZ at some point and though the King doesn’t give much for details Riku gets the feeling that it hadn't gone very well at all. Xigbar’s absence is suspicious after his deliberate meddling in the Mark of Mastery, and figures matching Xemnas and Ansem have been seen skulking around a couple worlds, which concerns Riku a great deal.

He’d known the possibility was more than likely, after they’d been taken by the Young Xehanort, probable even, but he’d still hoped. Hoped for what, he’s not certain, but still.

None of them are sure what the end goal of this supposed fated battle is yet. He’s not sure what methods Xehanort is using to recruit. Coercion? By force like he had attempted with Sora? Or had they somehow gone willingly? There are simply too many unknowns and he doesn’t like it.

They wait by the open area of the square, the best place to land a ship that was still somewhat nearby. Aqua turns her wayfinder over and over in her hands in what looks like an old nervous habit that makes Riku’s heart ache.

Or maybe it’s Terra’s heart. He’s not totally sure.

“Can I ask you something?” Kairi asks. Aqua nods, not turning her head.

“When we fought, you called me ‘Paladin.’” Kairi says. “And Riku ‘Light’. Why was that?”

Aqua tilts her head, like she doesn’t understand the question.

“You are.”

“But what is that?” Riku persists. Aqua frowns.

“I don’t know.” She says quietly. “The dark whispers things, and I don’t always understand it all. It says that is what you are and I believe it. Perhaps it is merely another sign of how far I have fallen.”

“Now you stow that kinda talk.” Mickey speaks up, reaching up to place his hand over her wayfinder. “The dark does have a reputation for hidden knowledge, but dark or light- that ain’t a reflection on you, y’hear? You’re our friend no matter what.”

Aqua gives him a thin smile.

The gust of wind and noise signaling the approach of a ship has them all looking up, and Riku’s heart lifts seeing the familiar orange and yellow of Sora’s ship. Kairi grins widely, waving her arms as the ship lands, too excited to sit still.

Sora bounds from the ship before the exit ramp has even finished fully descending, running into Riku and Kairi with force, laughing the whole way.

“You’re here!” He cries. “You’re finally back!”

“We’re home.” Kairi holds onto him tightly, arms wrapped around both Sora and Riku in a messy three-way hug. She leans her forehead into Sora’s and feels Riku bury his face into their hair from above.

“We missed you.” Riku murmurs, and Sora lip wobbles at the emotion strung through the words.

“I missed you too.” Sora clutches tighter. “I missed you both so much.”

-

Aqua watches at them from a cautious distance, and Sora feels Ven overflowing with a tumble of complicated emotions, which is the only reason he pulls away from Riku and Kairi at all- though he doesn’t let either of them go completely.

Ven forms in the air, slow and hesitant.

Aqua doesn’t react, and it takes Sora a moment to figure out the problem.

“Ven-” His voice breaks, and he clears his throat. “Ven says hi, Aqua.”

A tear escapes beneath the blindfold, running down her cheek. She does not move, holding herself stiffly at attention.

Ven floats forward, slowly, and she can see vague shapes through it enough that she’s not totally surprised, though she still jumps a little when he takes her hand.

“He missed you.” Sora says, and on either side Riku and Kairi squeeze him tightly.

“I’ll get you back, Ven.” She whispers. “I promised to wake you up and I will.”

Ven pauses, and Sora feels the complicated emotions running through him spill over. Ven tries to sign something, but he’s faced away from Sora so he can’t see it to translate.

“He’s right there.” Sora protests anyway. “He’s with you now.”

“I promised.” Aqua’s voice wavers, and then she turns away, marching up the steps toward the castle, leaving Ven behind with the rest of them.

“Ven?” Sora asks. Ven shakes his head and vanishes, returning to Sora’s heart, leaving only a heavy ache behind him. Kairi rubs a comforting circle into his back.

“She’s still coming to terms with… everything.” She says. “Just give her some time, okay?”

“Right.” Sora leans into her touch, into both of them.

Just a little time.

-

Though they want to stay there and soak in each other's presence, duty calls. Mickey and his retinue had followed Aqua in, and Haru is waiting by the gates to the castle, walking with them as they head inside where Aqua and the others have gathered.

They meet in on the big halls near the entrance, and Sora finds himself looking around for someone.

“I wonder if they’re still looking for Ienzo.” Sora wonders. Riku frowns. Ienzo’s disappearance was very worrisome, and the continued lack of clues are concerning everyone involved.

“We’ve been looking for him too.” Goofy assures. “Don’t you worry.”

“So!” Mickey claps his hands. “Now that we’ve found Aqua, let’s figure out what the next step is.”

“I need to get Ven.” Aqua states, and her tone makes it clear she will not be dissuaded.

 _“I’m right here.”_ Ven whispers, a sadness in his tone that hurts Sora’s heart. He doesn’t voice it aloud- not now.

“Right.” Mickey nods. “Sora for sure will need to go with you, since he has Ven’s heart.”

“We’re going too.” Riku says. Kairi agrees.

“I don’t want to be separated again so soon.” She says. Mickey acquiesces with a nod.

“Alright, so the four of you together. Me, Donald and Goofy will go back to what we were doing before then, looking for our missing friends and hunting for clues. Haru, what about you?”

Haru shrugs.

“I’ll stick with Sora and them.”

“Alright!” Mickey grins. “We have a plan. Ready teams? Let’s go!”

And so they disperse.

“So!” Sora leans forward. “Ven’s body?”

Aqua nods.

“I hid him where no one would ever find him.” She says, and to Ven the confidence in her voice nearly reminds him of her old self again. “Except for me.”

“Well what are we waiting for?” Kairi grins cheerily. “I have a stockpile of overdue noogies I need to give him.”

Aqua nearly, so very nearly, laughs.

Instead her lips merely quirk upward, and she turns away, lifting Master Defender. Light gathers at it’s edge, and a portal of light and dark swirl together in the wall.

“Are you sure you should be portalling?” Riku worries. “You’ve only just come out of-”

“I’m well aware.” Aqua cuts him off. “This is different. Don’t worry about me.”

Riku leans back, still worried but willing to keep his silence. Aqua turns back to the portal.

“Sora.” She calls, and then steps through. Sora just shrugs at the others, following her through without hesitation.

Riku and Kairi move to follow as well until Haru stops them.

“Wait.” He asks, and they pause. “I need to tell you something. About Sora.”

“Sora?” Kairi asks. “What happened?”

Riku says nothing, but the worry that instantly etches itself in his features speaks volumes.

“It’s his dark form. There was an incident. He wasn’t.. himself.”

“What do you mean?” Riku presses. Haru shakes his head.

“He was.. Angry. Confused. Didn’t recognize friend from foe anymore.”

Kairi frowns, and Riku turns pensive.

“That doesn’t sound like him at all.” Riku agrees. Anti-form was certainly very… simple, but he was still Sora at his core; friendly and inquisitive, a little clingy maybe. A destructive force if provoked, assuredly, but never towards a friend.

“I don’t want to worry you, but I thought you should know. Something is wrong. I’m sure of it.”

“It’s not like we really knew what was up with that form in the first place.” Kairi points out, tugging on the ends of her hair in a worried gesture. “What if it’s getting worse?”

“We’ll keep an eye on it.” Riku says. “Thanks for telling us.”

Haru nods.

“Yeah. Now lets go before that portal closes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you follow my twitter you might remember this thing: https://twitter.com/shyrstyne/status/1278088521463427072
> 
> surprise! it was stand!au all along :P


	17. Whose woods these are I think I know.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Return to the Castle of Oblivion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew, into the second poem now. things are going to start ramping up real soon here.

Sora notices the others don’t follow through immediately of course, but Aqua strides down the gray path without pause so he jogs after her and assumes the others will catch up in a minute.

“Ven talked about you alot.” Sora tries to make conversation. “He missed you.”

Aqua reaches up to pull down the blindfold to hang around her neck, the gray-black of this odd realm is dim enough not to bother her. She frowns, and Sora sees the bone deep regret and sadness in her.

“I missed him too.” She whispers. “So much. For so long that was the only thing that kept me going- the thought that I would see him and Terra again.”

“So…” Sora pauses, knowing this may go very badly. “Why do you keep acting like he’s not with you now? You really hurt his feelings earlier.”

It went so much deeper than that, of course. Sora had seen first hand how change, _rejection_ , was one of Ven’s biggest fears. No happy reunion was this for either of them, it seemed.

“I’m sorry.” She breathes, and she stops walking, squeezing her eyes shut as if in pain. “I can’t-”

“He _is_ here, Aqua.” Sora says, sad but firm. Aqua’s expression grows angry- though it takes Sora a moment to realise that she’s not angry at him.

Self loathing.

“I failed.” She says, tone bitter and hard. “I promised to protect him. I promised to wake him up and keep him safe once I brought Terra home, and I failed all of it. For a _decade.”_

She all but spits the last word.

“So if he’s here-” Her voice shakes. “If he’s here it’s just another thing I’ve failed at. That I left him for all those years for _nothing.”_

Sora frowns. He doesn’t understand exactly what she’s saying, but he understands that she’s scared. Scared of everything that had happened and what it means for both her and her friends. He moves to stand in front of her.

“It’s not for nothing.” He says, reaching out to put one hand on hers- the one still clutching Master Defender. “He loves you like family, no matter what you failed or succeeded at. He only cares that you’re here now. And he’d say that to you himself if you knew any of our signs, I promise.”

“Can he hear me?” She asks. Sora nods.

She takes a deep breath.

“I’m sorry Ven.” She says quietly. “I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry for hurting you. I’m… I’m not the same as I was back then. I hope you can forgive me.”

Sora waits for his answer and then laughs, making Aqua jerk back, surprised and a little hurt.

“He says you’re doing all his chores for a year.”

Aqua chokes on a laugh- then another, and finally she laughs and laughs until tears run down her cheeks. Her face feels stretched and out of practice, but oh- it feels so very good.

“A month.”

“Six months!”

“Three.”

“Deal.”

Riku, Kairi, and Haru catch up not long after, and all of them note Aqua’s lighter expression with relief and hope.

-

“So.”

Vanitas and Ventus sit on their respective stations, looking across the coloured glass at each other pensively.

“So.” Ven shrugs. The corners of Vanitas’ lips twitch downward.

“Must be excited. To be free again.” His tone is so carefully, deliberately casual. Ven doesn’t buy it. They’ve known each other too long now.

“We’ll get you out too.” Ven says it like he means it, and Vanitas still can’t wrap his mind around what that means for him. Why even bother promising him that, he wonders.

“You better enjoy it.” Vanitas continues as if he hadn’t heard him. “Since you were the one lucky enough to keep our face.”

Ven frowns, but it’s not angry. He almost looks hurt.

“I didn’t choose this, Van.”

The nickname makes Vanitas drop the cavalier attitude at least.

“You think I don’t know that?” He says sharply. “Neither of us did. I’m _trying_ not to be a complete asshole about it.” And not exactly succeeding, but Ven chooses not to mention it, since Vanitas himself seems to be aware.

“You’re being passive aggressive instead of trying to kill me.” Ven points out, even managing a smile with it. “That’s something, right?”

Vanitas snorts.

“Whatever.”

“None of this is right or fair.” Ven says. “I won’t say it is. But can I ask you something? You can choose not to answer, just don’t lie, okay?”

“Stop beating around the bush, twinkle toes.” Vanitas waves a hand dismissively.

“If I said you could take the body… do you actually want it?”

Vanitas stays silent and frozen for a long, tense moment.

“You don’t have to answer.” Ven reminds. Vanitas shakes his head, staring at his boots.

“Shut up.”

There’s another pause, but if anything Vanitas only grows less sure the more he thinks.

“No- yes.. No. I don’t know.” He scrubs at his hair in frustration. “It was mine. Ours.”

“I know.” Ven nods. They’d shared it, once upon a time.

“And then it was just yours.” Vanitas’ jaw clenches. “And then it was nobodies.”

He looks away. Ven waits patiently as he works through his emotions.

“...There’s worse people out there to look like than Sora.” Vanitas grumbles at length.

“Even said the replica’s are supposed to take the shape of the heart.” Ven says. “Maybe-”

“No.” Vanitas shakes his head. “This is the shape of my heart now. Little Sora-shaped pieces filing in the gaps. I should just accept that.”

Ven tilts his head, empathy making him want to comfort, but knowing how badly Vanitas responds to perceived pity.

“That doesn’t make it easier.”

Vanitas tilts his head back, staring into the endless blank abyss.

“No. It doesn’t.”

-

Haru is the first to realise.

“Where are we going?” He asks, and the others turn, surprised at how suddenly tense he is.

“A hidden place.” Aqua answers vaguely. “I never gave it a name after- well. It’s unrecognizable as it is now.”

“You okay, Haru?” Sora asks, taking in Haru’s suddenly ashen complexion. Haru looks away, shaking his head.

“It’s probably nothing. Let’s keep going.”

“Haru-” Sora tries to protest, but is ignored as the group trudges on. Ven and Vanitas have a similar feeling of tenseness, and before long it’s coming off of Riku too. Kairi and Aqua seem to be the only ones unaffected, and Aqua only because she already knows where they’re going.

It frustrates Sora, but it doesn’t last as a strange, impossible looking Castle looms from the shadows, bringing their group to a stunned halt.

 _“No.”_ Vanitas groans. _“ **No**. Really?!”_

 _“Oh my lights this explains both everything and nothing.”_ Ven laughs incredulously.

Sora has absolutely no idea what they’re talking about, but as he turns to look around his gaze is caught on Riku, who looks up at the Castle with a wide eyed expression Sora doesn’t think he’s ever seen before.

“Riku?” He asks. Riku blinks, giving himself a shake before offering Sora a placating smile and moving on, following Aqua as she continues on without them- intent on her goal. Before he can follow them he realises that he’s not the only one lagging.

“Haru, are you okay?” Sora hears Kairi ask, and he looks back to see both having trailed behind the group. Haru has a similarly wide-eyed look to Riku, though with the addition that he also looks like he might throw up, complexion pale and lips pressed tightly together.

He shakes his head, but it’s a short, jerky motion. Kairi reaches out, concerned, and the boy takes a step back on instinct, making her pause.

“Haru?” Sora moves toward him slowly. “What do you need?”

“I’m not going in there.” Haru says, like he can’t get the words out quickly enough. “I won’t.”

“That’s okay.” Sora says. “You don’t have to, promise.”

Haru still has a glassy, wild eyed look about him that Sora doesn’t like. Kairi seems to agree, tugging on his sleeve.

“I’ll stay with him.” Kairi offers. Sora is both sad and proud of her.

“You sure?” He asks. “I know you wanted to be there for when everyone got their bodies.”

Her smile is thin but resolved.

“Yeah, but if this place is what I think it is… I don’t want to risk Naminé looking outside at the wrong time either. We’ll wait here. Ven just owes me is all.”

 _“It’s not my fault my body apparently ended up in a place with a comet tail of trauma for everyone.”_ Ven grumbles.

“Okay.” Sora nods. “We’ll be back soon. You gonna be okay out here, Haru?”

Haru manages a nod, though he still seems a little spacey, and Kairi gently leads him away as Sora returns to where Riku and Aqua are not waiting on the front step.

Neither of them ask. Riku can guess well enough, and Aqua likely feeling it’s none of her business.

Sora still doesn’t remember this place, but despite how he feels sometimes he’s truly not stupid. He can put together these particular pieces. Haru and Riku’s reactions, Ven and Vanitas’ stories and their disbelief.

Castle Oblivion.

They enter it’s tall double doors and walk through it’s empty white halls, all of them dogged by familiarity, and all of them for different reasons. Aqua leads the way, and though there is only one way through the Castle’s halls they seem to shift for her, as if sensing her right to pass. The others (sans Sora) seem surprised and impressed by the change. Sora is just impressed.

They’re not sure how far it is- perhaps ten minutes, though it always seems longer in these sterile white areas, until finally the path ends in a door covered in chains embossed into the very walls.

Aqua takes a deep breath as she raises her keyblade, the end glowing brightly in contrast with hands still dark and red.

There’s the familiar sound of a lock clicking free, and then they’re all blinded by a brilliant light.

Bit by bit, the Castle rearranges, colours shift, and light changes hue as everything changes around them. Ven’s heart soars with familiar joy as slowly what was once the Land of Departure becomes recognizable once more.

 _“It was **home**!”_ Ven cries. _“It was home all along! That’s why it was so familiar!”_

 _“This is so stupid.”_ Vanitas grouses. _“We were so close the whole-”_

 _“Stop being a killjoy, Van.”_ Xion pokes, but it’s clear she’s teasing, knowing his grumbling is born of sheer disbelief at the unexpected turn.

The door dissolves, and as the Castle finishes its transformation they find themselves in the wide, golden expanse of the Main Hall, at the end of which-

“Ven.” Aqua whispers, running towards the tall chairs, one of which is occupied by their goal. She doesn’t pull up her blindfold, despite wincing at the new light that filters through the golden halls.

 _“Huh.”_ Ven says, suddenly hesitant. _“I look.. Older.”_

He does. No fifteen year old waits for them at the end of the hall. The boy had become a man in both heart and body, despite both pieces doing it in completely different places. His hair had grown out without anyone to cut it, and despite some growth it’s apparent that Ven was simply never going to be tall, judging by how his clothes are tight but not obscenely so.

“It _has_ been ten years.” Sora murmurs. Riku glances at Sora, but doesn’t push him to move forward, which he’s grateful for.

 _“I guess it would be weird to be fifteen again.”_ Ven murmurs. _“Still. Kinda feels like I lost something. Is that strange?”_

“No.” Sora answers. “You grew up, and it wasn’t in the way most people get to do it. I think you’re allowed to mourn that.”

 _“Let’s get this over with.”_ Vanitas says, voice unexpectedly rough. Sora figures he’s right though, and after offering Riku a smile to indicate he’s ready, they walk towards the waiting body.

Sora doesn’t think about how he’s letting go of one of his oldest friends (to be free to live his own life)

He doesn’t think about how his heart (his home) will be a little more empty in only just a few moments (because his friend will be happy)

He doesn’t consider how sad and scared he is to lose one of his strongest pillars of support (what kind of selfish person does that?)

So he puts on a smile, pushes down his anxiety, and pushes forward.

Ven will be free, and that matters far more than some pathetic fear of being alone.

~~Free to leave Sora behind.~~

Aqua is leaning over the still sleeping body, double checking to make sure he hasn’t suffered any ill-effects of having been there so long. Thankfully she seems relaxed as they approach, indicating the body merely sleeps, as it was intended to.

But of course nothing ever seems to go as intended for long.

“There you are, sleeping beauty.” A rough voice grinds out, and the group whirls to find a familiar figure at the end of the hall.

“Vani- no. A fake.” Riku grits his teeth. The masked boy tilts his head as if considering a unique sort of bug.

 _“Aw you think I’m beautiful?”_ Ventus teases. There’s the sounds of scuffling in Sora’s head as Van retaliates.

_“It’s- It was my body!”_

_“You think I’m prettyyyyy~”_

_“Shut UP.”_

Sora decides to tune them out. Bigger fish to fry right now.

This strange, young Vanitas stalks towards them, geared Keyblade already in hand, menace in his aura. All three of the other keybearers ready themselves for a fight. The mask tilts again as he considers the situation.

“You know what? Let’s even the odds a little.” He says and then vanishes from sight.

“Where’d he-” The group looks around wildly, searching for their assailant, but none of them turm fast enough as he reappears behind Riku, swinging his keyblade hard across the back of Riku’s head.

“No!” Sora shouts as his friend crumples like a bag of rocks, leaping forward and swinging hard at the masked Vanitas.

Vanitas merely laughs as he teleports away, skipping across the embossed flooring like it’s a game. Sora kneels over Riku, cure on his tongue. Riku groans but doesn’t wake, and Sora bites his lip in worry, glancing up at Ventus’ sleeping body in the chair next to them.

They can’t do the transfer without Riku. Does Aqua have the power? She must, right?

Aqua stands straighter, stepping forward and a barrier springing to life around her and Vanitas. Ven panics.

 _“What is she doing?”_ He cries. _“She only just got out of the dark!”_

“Aqua!” Sora shouts, trying to call her back. She doesn’t turn.

“You look like trash.” Vanitas scoffs. “You think you can take me one on one like that?”

“I can and I will.” Aqua says, confidence unwavering in the face of her enemy. “I will not let you hurt Ven again.”

“What, like how you stopped me the first time?” Vanitas mocks. “Yeah I know what happened, even if _I_ haven’t done it yet. You’re a failure, _Master_ Aqua.”

Her eyes narrow, but she doesn’t flinch, doesn’t back down.

“I am.” She says, and magic gathers around her. “I’ve failed my friends, my family, my duty. None of that matters. No holding back now. I will _not_ let you hurt him.”

Vanitas laughs as he raises his blade.

“So much for you being the backup, huh?” He taunts. “What power do you even think you have, corrupted by the dark? You’re exactly what you hate. You’re like _me.”_

Aqua scowls, but decides they’re done talking, keyblade swinging up and ice shooting out at her opponent. Vanitas just barks another laugh as he dodges, sinking into the ground in a swirl of darkness, and then bursting from it in a flurry of fire. A barrier springs to life around Aqua as she blocks, weaker than her barriers used to be as her corruption favours more aggressive magics but strong enough to withstand it, and she comes out of it with an upward strike that knocks the boy back and rattles him.

Sora glances away from the battle, as much as he doesn’t want to. Riku’s blinking blearily now, slowly coming too, but he’s clearly still out of it. Sora resists the urge to pour another potion on him, knowing he’d done all he can right now. He can’t really do anything here, aside make sure nothing else hurts him while he recovers.

 _“Aqua!”_ Ven shouts, distraught, and Sora looks up in time to see her stumble awkwardly, but she recovers with grace, returning fire with an immensely powerful thundaga that coats nearly every surface within the large barrier. She swings at Vanitas again while he’s still recovering, scoring several hits before he can skip away once more and fire back.

Vanitas tsks beneath his mask.

“Enough of this.” He growls, sinking into the ground. Aqua readies herself to barrier, but is confused when he doesn’t leap from the ground right away.

“Ready for this?” Vanitas shouts as he springs from below- not directly beneath Aqua like she’d expected, but from the center of the arena. Fire bursts outward, wide and powerful in a single solid wave, sending Aqua tumbling and slamming into the barrier walls with force.

The barrier cracks, small at first, then wider, spreading all across its surface until it shatters around them.

Sora instinctively leans over Riku as the glittering shards come down, vanishing after they’ve clattered against the ground.

 _“Look out-”_ Roxas shouts. Sora looks up.

The Vanitas of the past stands over him with blade raised, ready to bring it down on both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the cliffhanger i swear it wasn't intentional. the next section ended up being like half a chapter all on it's own and i had to cut it somewhere ^^;
> 
> ven's body gets to age bc if you stuck 25 yo me into 15yo me's body i'd probably have a straight up conniption, so i will not be doing that to ven. in canon at least he was asleep/comatose on both ends so he's basically in limbo; here not so much.


	18. His house is in the village, though;

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ventus

Time slows to a stop.

Sora is barely aware of it at first, staring up into the blank mask of (what is- what will be) his brother- and then something (power-connection-strength) uncoils in his chest, and he finds himself looking down on Ven’s heart station instead.

The others are nowhere in sight, even his own is missing, which feels weird even in this dreamlike state. And it is dreamlike, floating above it and feeling something itch beneath his fingertips.

Power.

_Power._

He knows what this is, instinctively.

 _“Ready?”_ He asks, though his mouth doesn’t move.

Ven looks up from where he stands at the center of his station, and he smiles.

Sora raises his keyblade (when had he summoned it?), and the little beam of light that he shoots down onto Ven’s station feels final in a way he can’t explain.

The station glows, brilliantly, gloriously, and then crumbles away, disappearing from sight, leaving just Ven floating with him in the abyss. He rises up, taking Sora by both hands as his blade vanishes once more.

 _“Time to go.”_ Sora says, and he can’t quite push down the sadness in it. Ven’s own smile is sad as well.

 _“I’ll see you soon.”_ Ven responds.

And then he’s gone.

And Sora is looking up at past-Vanitas’ raised keyblade once more.

He takes a sharp breath, disoriented by the sudden shifting in his environment, but before he has time to react- before almost anyone has time to react- there’s suddenly a keyblade locked with the downward swing of Vanitas’.

Sora traces the familiar edges of Wayward Wind up to Ventus, still half in his chair and teeth bared as he pushes back against the swing.

“You-!” Vanitas snarls as he tries to push harder, but Ven pushes him back with gritted teeth, making the smaller boy stumble and then teleport out of range. He curses.

Ventus climbs out of the chair, standing to his full height as he stares down Vanitas, expression serious.

“You get in the way of _everything!”_ Vanitas rages, anger in every word.

Ventus’ gaze grows soft, and sad.

“I know you’re only doing this because you’re hurting.”

“No.” The boy refutes. “Is that what the other me told you? He’s lying!”

“And you think joining with me will make it better.” Ven walks forward, approaching him at an intimidatingly steady pace. He raises a hand as Aqua tenses to keep her from interfering, and though she aqueisces she stays tense and ready.

“It’s the only way!” Vanitas keeps shouting. “It’s _my body!”_

“We’ll talk about that.” Ven finds himself smiling. “Someday. You didn’t deserve what happened to you.”

Vanitas freezes, and without another word he vanishes. Somehow they all get the feeling that he won’t be back for a while.

Ven lets out a deep breath, and then turns to Aqua with a brilliant grin.

“I’m back!”

Aqua looks like she can't quite believe it, one hand outstretched but hesitating to move further, like he’s a ghost that might vanish on her once more.

He has no idea how right he is in thinking that.

A sudden giddiness fills Ven then, looking down at his hands and rocking from foot to foot, energy moving through him like a living thing, he starts to laugh, bright and joyous.

“I’m here.” He says, grin growing ever wider. “I’m here!” On impulse he reaches out and grabs Aqua’s hand, pulling her into an energetic spin as he laughs. Tears drip from her eyes as she starts to laugh too, his joy infectious.

“You’re really here this time.” Aqua gasps as Ven trips over himself and she catches him, and she takes the opportunity to pull him into a tight hug, burying her face into his hair.

“I missed you, Aqua.” Ven says. “I know I said it before but… I really, really did.”

“I know.” Aqua says, voice muffled. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. For everything.”

“I know.” Ven murmurs. “It’s okay.”

They pull away, and Ven blinks.

“Your eyes.” He whispers. “They’re blue again.”

Aqua has nothing to say to that, lip wobbling with emotion.

Sora finds himself distracted as Riku finally starts to move a little, waking from his impromptu ‘nap’.

“What-” He grunts as he sits up, and Sora reaches out to steady him. He blinks at Ven, and then at Sora, bewildered. “Am I still dreaming?”

“Nope!” Sora grins. “We woke him up.”

Riku smiles, full of pride, making Sora’s stomach do a curious little flip flop. Weird.

“You did it.” Riku rephrases. “I knew you could.” He reaches out to ruffle Sora’s hair, and Sora ducks his head, blushing.

“Sora!” Ven calls, running up to them, and Sora knows what’s coming as he stands, throwing his arms wide to catch Ven in them. It feels a little weird that Ven is taller than him now, but also right in its own way, like it had been when he was little and the two teenagers had towered over him in his heart place.

“Hey.” Sora grins, feeling the warmth of his body in a way that the heart stations just can’t replicate. Ven holds tighter.

“I’ve wanted to do this for real for so long.” Ven whispers. “Thank you Sora. And thank you for keeping me safe all this time.”

“It was the least I could do.” Sora answers, forcing down the lingering feeling of loss and focusing on the rough texture against his cheek instead with a giggle. “That tickles.”

Ven laughs as he leans back, rubbing a hand across the thin stubble peppering his cheeks.

“Guess I’m gonna have to learn how to shave.” Ven grins. “Though judging by this, it looks like I’m never going to grow a full beard, huh Van-” He tilts his head, searching for a face that isn’t there, stopping awkwardly as he realises the distance now between them.

The smiles drop, and Aqua pointedly looks away.

Sora looks at Aqua, and then looks back at Ven, communicating with only a look. Ven nods, sighing. He doesn’t need to be told why Van won’t come out, even if none of them like it.

“I’ll talk to her.” Ven whispers, and Sora’s not sure if that message is for him or Vanitas, but he supposes it doesn’t really matter.

Riku clears his throat, and it’s awkward but at least it distracts them all.

“Should we get going? The others are still waiting outside.”

Ven’s smile returns, not quite as glowing but still excited.

“Right, let’s go.”

-

“So this is the place huh.” Kairi says as she and Haru settle onto a short outcropping of rock, faced away from the ominous Castle. Haru nods, hunching over as he tries to collect himself.

“Riku told you?” He asks.

“Yeah, a bit. So did Naminé.” Kairi answers. “Enough to get a good idea anyway.”

Silence falls. Haru stares out across the empty dark.

“I’m sorry you had to face it again when you didn’t want to.” Kairi says. Haru glances up at her. The colour’s returned to his face, though he’s still not exactly happy about being here. He manages a smile.

“Thanks.” He replies quietly. She returns his smile.

“I know we didn’t start off on the right foot, but… friends?”

He blinks, surprised.

“Really?” He asks, dumbfounded. Kairi pouts.

“Well, yeah? Unless you don’t want to. I know I wasn’t really fair to you before. But I’d like to be, if you want.”

“... Yeah. I guess that’s fine then.” He reaches out a hand, which she takes with gusto. “Is Naminé…?” He trails off, not really sure what he’s trying to ask. Kairi frowns.

“She’s been.. Not great. Did you want to talk? She hasn’t been watching, and she might actually come out for once if she knows you’re here.”

He nods, and then waits patiently as Kairi’s head droops while she drops within to get Naminé.

It feels like a small eternity, though it’s probably no more than a minute or two, but Naminé swirls to life in a graceful shower of pastel blue’s and distinctive nobody lines. She forms facing away from the castle, and Haru can only assume that Kairi must have warned her. A moment later Kairi’s head lifts, awake once more.

-Hello, Haru.- Naminé signs, and Kairi notes that his smile grows so much more real just at seeing her.

“Hey, Nami.” He says. “I’ve missed you.”

-You too.- She tilts her head, signing slowly. Haru wonders if she hasn’t been practicing with the others.

He reaches up, silently asking, and though she hesitates she accepts the hug and returns it. He takes a deep breath. It’s not what it should be, but it’s the best they can do right now.

“How’ve you been?” He asks as they part. Naminé turns her head away, shoulders hunching.

“Naminé.” Kairi says, words both encouragement and caution. _‘If you don’t tell him I will.’_

-Bad.- She signs, slow and clumsy. -I’m tired. Lots in my heart that doesn’t make sense. Kairi and Riku say I need help.-

“Yeah.” He agrees, and she seems surprised. “Even back in the mansion.. I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner. I should have.”

-I didn’t- she pauses, trying to figure out how to say it. -see it too. I was okay.-

“You weren’t okay.” Haru shakes his head, but Naminé waves her hands, trying to gather her scattered thoughts. She looks helplessly at Kairi.

“I think what she meant was that she _thought_ she was okay.” Kairi says, and Naminé nods. “Sometimes it’s just as hard to see from the inside as it is from out.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Haru admits. “I wish all this was easier.”

-Me too.- Naminé floats down, sitting on the rocks next to Haru, pointed dress flowering out around her. -I don’t…. Want to feel. Like this.-

“It’ll get better.” Kairi reassures. “It was only recently it got really bad, which means it will pass, and things will get better again.”

Naminé fiddles with her dress before she speaks again.

-I hope so. I see fragments, but even those.. too much. No more, please.-

“I want to help Nami.” Haru says, reaching up to caress one empty cheek. “I don’t know how, though. Please just… hang on, okay? Until all this is over, and we can find someone who does.”

She doesn’t answer at first. Haru’s expression breaks a little.

“Promise me, Naminé.”

Naminé pauses, and then looks to Kairi, who says nothing, only showing her the appropriate signs. Naminé turns back to Haru.

-I promise.-

And then the world around them starts to shift.

Colour bleeds into the ground from every direction, and as they turn they see the Castle start to move, rearranging each turret and window and door until it no longer looks so impossible. Mountains spring up around them as massive chains drape themselves across the landscape, holding enormous floating rocks in place. Light spreads across the land, changing the scenery completely.

They’re no longer sitting on blank, drab rocks, but a delicate looking bench, it’s metal rungs curved in complicated patterns below them. Grass and deliberately placed cobblestone replace the winding gray path of before. Pillars sprout, forming a clear entrance behind them.

“It’s beautiful.” Kairi exclaims as the world changes around them. Haru can only nod, stunned by the display. Naminé seems like she would be breathless if she had a body to breathe with.

“What happened?” Haru asks as the changes come to a close. Kairi shakes her head.

“I don’t know. Feels like a good thing, though.”

Haru looks around, their surroundings completely unrecognizable from only moments before, and can’t help but agree.

Naminé floats forward, pointing at the doorway at the top of the stairs. She pauses, and then points again.

Kairi laughs, and Haru smiles at this little bit of excitement, so rare for her.

“Agreed, let’s go check it out!” Kairi says, jogging forward. “Meet the others there, if they haven’t found Ven’s body yet.”

“I doubt we’ll get there first.” Haru shakes his head. “We don’t know where we’re going, and Aqua does.”

“Then we’ll meet them on their way back, don’t be such a spoilsport!” Kairi teases, already walking up the wide stairs. He huffs, but it’s a good natured sort of thing, and then follows her. Naminé waits for him roughly halfway between them, and as he passes she hesitantly reaches out a hand.

He smiles, warmth spreading through his chest and making his fingers tingle as he takes it. They enter the Castle hand in hand.

All of them do a slow spin as they enter the tall, magnificent structures that make up the entrance hall, the floors a warm gold tone, mirrored in it’s far off ceiling and delicate filigrees along the detailing of the pillars. White walls are occasionally spaced by beautiful stained glass windows, and it's a grand display of opulence that none of them have really seen before, even in all their travels.

“I’m guessing it didn’t look like this before.” Kairi says, tracing a finger across the armature of one of the colourful windows. Naminé shakes her head emphatically.

“Not even slightly.” Haru echoes the sentiment.

Kairi looks up, an old, familiar feeling twigging at the edge of her senses, and she expects to see Sora and the others approaching. She’s surprised when she sees nothing at all, and frowns, still feeling Vanitas’ dark nearby.

Naminé glances about, not as familiar with the feeling but knowing Kairi well enough to know something was amiss.

“Is something wrong?” Haru asks, out of the loop. Naminé puts a finger to the place her lips would be.

“Vanitas?” Kairi calls, confused. “Are you hiding or something? You know I can feel you.”

And then the feeling vanishes, leaving her a little worried.

“Soraaaa?” She calls. After all, where Vanitas is, Sora can’t be far behind. There’s no answer though, and Kairi finds herself fidgeting at the strangeness of it all. They were supposed to be here to get Ven’s body and (hopefully) return him to it. She didn’t want to be distracted by some strange, impromptu game right now.

Only her own voice echoing down the hall answers her. She pouts, and Haru scratches at the shaved side of his head in befuddlement.

“Well, whatever they’re doing I guess we keep going?” He suggests. Naminé shrugs, figuring it’s as good a plan as any. Kairi huffs.

“I like a good prank as much as anyone, but I don’t think this is the time for it.” She starts walking down the long hall, followed closely by the other two. It isn’t long before Naminé starts to fade at the edges, unused to being out much, and for a moment they stop.

Haru holds her hand until she vanishes, the weight disappearing from his fingers completely. A silent promise.

They continue on, and as they go though they start hearing voices, and soon after the sound of approaching footsteps. Kairi breaks into a run, and only moments later they see the other group round a corner. Kairi cheers at seeing them, coming to a stumbling halt only just before running Sora and Riku over completely.

“You did it!” She looks at the addition to the group who is clearly Ven. “Happy Birthday, Ven!”

Ventus makes a face. So does Sora.

“Oh don’t put it that way. Please don’t do that.” 

Kairi just cackles, reaching up to pull him down for a hug.

“Nice to see you again.” She says, and then switches positions quickly to rub her knuckles into his scalp roughly.

“Ow- hey!” Ven protests, though his struggling is mostly performative. “What did I ever do to you?”

“You got taller, for one!” She says as she releases him. “Seriously, who gave you permission to do that?”

“Not tall enough.” Ventus grumps. “This is as tall as I’m ever gonna get, and I don’t even top Aqua’s height.”

Aqua pokes him with a pointed finger, which makes him jump.

“Aq- c’mon! You’re short! You know it’s true!”

“Not as short as you.” She manages to tease, making Ven pout adorably. The others laugh.

“This is great though, seriously.” Kairi smiles. “What do you want to do first?”

Ven hums in thought.

“A lot of stuff. Like, a _lot.”_ He says. “Most of it’s gonna have to wait, but I would kill for a pancake right now.”

Ven’s stomach isn’t the only one that rumbles, and giggles spread throughout the group.

“I’d say we have time for a pit stop.” Riku suggests. “We’re headed to Radiant Garden next, right?”

Sora nods.

“That’s right, there’s at least one body done, so we can do another one now.”

“I thought you wanted to wait for most of them, until you had the power of waking.” Haru tilts his head, curious. Sora blinks.

“Oh, right. Uh. I figured it out?”

“What? Sora that’s amazing!” Kairi cheers, wrapping him up in a hug. “I’m so proud of you!”

Sora flushes up to the tips of his ears at the praise, and that weird stomach flip-flop thing happens again.

“T-thanks.” He stutters. “I should have figured it out sooner…”

“Don’t be down on yourself.” Riku puts a hand on Sora’s shoulder, standing much too close, was the room always this warm? Must be Kairi’s body heat, from still hugging him. “You did great.”

Sora grins though, and this time it’s real.

“We gonna stand here all day or what?” Haru calls, deliberately interrupting. “I thought it was agreed that we were all hungry, and I doubt this place has any food in it.”

“He’s right.” Aqua gives a small smile. “I don’t know what kind of state the kitchens are in, and I haven’t eaten in… a very long time.”

“How did you survive there if there’s no food?” Haru wonders as they walk away. Aqua shrugs.

“It’s not like the realm of light. Time moves strangely there- sometimes a moment becomes years, and sometimes years are but a moment. Sometimes things changed and moved… and sometimes they didn’t.”

“Huh.” Haru says. “I feel like there’s a whole area of study there.”

“Likely.” Aqua shrugs. “If there has been, as students we were forbidden from it. The Master… The Master didn’t want such darkness to taint us.”

Haru scoffs, and Aqua finds herself glaring at him. He just gives her a flat look.

“No offense, but your Master sounds pretty short sighted. And narrow minded.”

Aqua grits her teeth in anger, only to visibly restrain herself.

“He was like a father to us. A great man…. But yes. He could be.” She says, short and soft. Haru can see the complicated feelings for what they are and lets the matter lie.

“C’mon,” He says, jogging ahead of her. “Food. You want strawberries? You seem like you like strawberries.”

Aqua smiles then. Haru thinks this lighting makes her hair look like it’s tinted just a little bit blue.

“Yes, that sounds wonderful.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and so the first little bird flies free. for a guy who's remarkably in tune to other peoples feelings, sora is _incredibly_ dense when it comes to his own. (am i projecting? MAYBE)


	19. He will not see me stopping here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Second Little Bird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still reeling from this morning's khux update, have a chapter

“I’m sorry wait- Vanitas what now?” Kairi asks incredulously as they wander through Radiant Garden’s rebuilt town, crépes in hand. Vanitas forms long enough to make a ‘don’t look at me gesture’ and then vanishes before Aqua can turn back around from the stall where she'd been looking at some eye-catching earrings.

She pulls her blindfold back up, still easily overwhelmed despite the little bits of progress she’d made. Vanitas doesn’t seem to want to chance her seeing him anyway, and no one can really blame him, but sometimes he can’t seem to help but push it a little too close anyway.

“It’s Vanitas from the past.” Ven says. “Before we fought and ended up with Sora.”

“That explains what I felt on the way in, I guess.” Kairi chews on her ham and cheese crépe thoughtfully. “Still. Weird.”

“I declare this time travel bullshit illegal.” Haru grumps taking another bite of banana and chocolate crépe. “Who thought this was a good idea? You guys could be facing anyone now.”

“Well it was Xehanort’s idea, so no accounting for taste.” Riku sighs, plucking Sora’s mango treat from his grasp and taking a bite before returning it to him. Sora has no reaction to this aside from taking another bite himself, long used to Riku’s habitual food thievery. Too prideful to ask, even as a kid, but once Sora and the others learned how often he went hungry, they stopped paying much attention to missing bits and extra bites. Being on their own and travelling between worlds meant this wasn’t as much of a problem anymore, able to provide for themselves, but old habits were hard to break.

“Eugh. Xehanort.” Ven makes a face. Aqua returns to the group, her own crépe having long since vanished. Ven tries to hand her some of his but she politely turns it down despite eyeing it hungrily.

“Are you coming up to the castle with us?” Kairi asks, and Aqua’s face grows shadowed.

“I… No. I don’t think so. I think I’m going to stay here a bit, enjoy being in the light again.”

They all hear the unsaid things beneath.

“Okay.” Kairi keeps her voice light. “We’ll meet you later then.”

Aqua nods and then splits off, hovering only a moment by Ven, and leaving when he assures her that he’ll be back soon.

“They made a decision yet?” Ven asks Sora as they trudge up the winding steps toward the Castle. Sora shakes his head.

“It’s the same ring ‘round.” He shrugs.

“They’ll have to decide soon.” Riku says, nabbing the last of Kairi’s ham and cheese. “I doubt Even will let us get off lightly leaving his hard work empty twice in a row.”

“And Naminé won’t…?” Haru looks to Kairi, who shakes her head sadly as she dusts her hands of remaining crumbs.

“She keeps saying the others should get out first.” She answers. “And I can’t force her without possibly damaging one or both of us.”

Haru doesn’t like that, but there’s really no way to force the issue.

Riku’s phone chimes, and he pops the last bite of cheese into his mouth as he taps at it before putting it away. Sora tilts his head at him in question.

“Just updates from Mickey.” He answers. “And Data Sora’s been hanging out with me since we got back to the Realm of Light, so I’ve been trying to check in on him sometimes. Plus I sent a message to Chip and Dale to see if they could whip up a few more phones for us.” He looks up and away, feeling like he’s rambling, but no one seems to mind.

“Oh!” Sora brightens. “Good idea, Riku!”

Riku ducks his head with a faint blush dusting his cheeks, and Sora decides it’s his favourite look on him.

-

They cluster on Roxas’ heart station this time.

“So.” Roxas starts, and two heads of black hair nod solemnly back.

“I vote Vanitas.” Xion says without further prompting. Vanitas jerks a little in surprise.

“And I still vote you.” Roxas frowns. “Xion-”

“ _Roxas_.” Xion pouts back. “I can make my own decisions. And this thing- I swear things are getting clearer. I just need a little more time.”

“But…” Roxas looks away, clearly unhappy with this but not willing to fight her on it either.

“And you?” Vanitas prompts. “For a guy who absolutely hated the very thought of being here, you’re really setting yourself up to be last to go.”

Roxas makes a little noise, like he hadn’t even realised that. He considers it.

“I guess… Yeah, I did hate it. I still do, a little. I want to have my own life again more than anything, but.. You guys deserve to go first, is all.” He scrubs a hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t really know how to explain it. You just do.”

Vanitas frowns.

Xion does deserve it, that much they can both agree on.

But the closer Vanitas himself gets to the possibility of freedom.. The more he finds himself almost anxious.

Afraid.

Why should he get freedom before them? Who both want it so badly?

No. Not him. Not now. Maybe not ever.

“I understand.” Xion gives Roxas a smile that makes him duck his head, embarrassed. “But I really do believe I can figure this out, so I’m taking myself out of the running.”

“I won’t leave you here.” Roxas shakes his head. “I won’t.”

“Well, I’d say it’s agreed then.” Xion grins, turning to a still silent Vanitas. “It’s your turn.”

Vanitas stares at them wide eyed. Roxas thinks it over and then nods as if this makes perfect sense.

“You’ve been here for practically forever. You deserve it most of all really.” He says. Vanitas doesn’t move.

He wants to yell. Scream. Show them exactly why he shouldn’t be _allowed_ to leave. Grab their hair and force them to see the terrible things he’s done (what had been done to him).

He doesn’t move.

“Vanitas?” Xion tilts her head, an innocent gesture that makes everything inside Vanitas twist in an ugly way.

“Whatever.” He shrugs, casual. Inside, he’s at war with himself.

He wants it.

He’s scared of it.

He’s _desperate_ for it.

He shouldn’t have it before them.

Roxas stands, extending his hands to both Vanitas and Xion to help them up.

“Awesome. Let’s let Sora know then.”

-

Even hovers in the background, fiddling with machines and numbers and all manner of things Sora doesn’t understand. He hadn’t exactly been pleased at how many extra people had invited themselves along, but most of them had refused to leave. Sora had to be there, of course, and Ven absolutely refused to not be present for Van’s awakening. Riku and Kairi both wanted to be present, but they acquiesce to standing on the far side of the room until the process is complete.

And then it was time.

Sora looks down at the blank white mannequin laying on the table, dressed in a simple black shirt and pants more for future-modesty’s sake than any real need of coverage.. At the moment, at least.

“That’s gonna be you.” Sora has the urge to reach out and touch it, but stops himself at the last second.

 _“It’s weird.”_ Vanitas answers. His voice sounds rougher than usual, and Sora feels the uncertainty. It mirrors his own, in a lot of ways.

“You okay?”

 _“I’m fine.”_ Vanitas gruffly responds. _“Let’s get this over with before Ven wears a hole in the floor.”_

Ven can’t hear him anymore, but he can hear Sora’s giggle, tilting his head curiously as he briefly pauses his pacing.

“Okay.” Sora takes a deep breath.

And time stands still.

He floats above Vanitas’ station, none of the others in sight. Power coils under his fingertips and in his chest once more. On his station Vanitas is kneeling, tracing his hand across the glass- Sora’s own face, he notices. Little four year old Sora who’d once hugged a stranger just because they’d been sad.

 _“Time to go.”_ Sora ‘speaks’. Vanitas looks up.

The station dissolves, and that little face, full of wanton joy and round with baby fat, is the last to go. Vanitas floats up, silent, and those red eyes that have followed Sora through almost his entire life bore into him with an intensity he can’t decipher now.

He looks like he might speak, but says nothing, the words caught. Too many. Too difficult.

Instead he reaches out and places his hand on the top of Sora’s head, and then he’s gone.

Sora returns to himself in time to see the body on the table take shape, angles changing, hair forming. It takes only moments, but once it’s finished it’s clearly Vanitas there, blinking up at them almost confused.

He sits up, and Sora realises he’s actually a little different from inside his heart, where he’d hardly changed over the decade. His angles are a little sharper, hair a little longer, and as he stumbles to his feet- much, much taller.

Vanitas looks around the room as if in a daze. He opens his mouth but his throat sticks uncomfortably.

“How the heck did you manage to be so much taller than me? Ven protests. “That’s so unfair!”

Vanitas’ gaze lands on Ven, and he takes a single step back, knocking into the examination table still behind him. Ven’s joking tone flies to the wind as he grows worried instead. Even turns to the readings on his little screen, likely double checking everything to make sure things were running accordingly.

“Hey, you okay? Van?”

Vanitas lifts a hand, turning it over as he stares at it. Pale skin and clean fingernails, nearly opposite Sora’s dark tones and perpetually worn cuticles. He runs the hand through his hair, feeling the texture. He jerks as he has a realization.

“Mirror.” He says, voice mangling the word as he uses it for the first time.

“Huh?” Sora tilts his head, confused. Vanitas shakes his head.

“I need a mirror.” He asks- demands really, insistent. Even turns one of the small mirrors he uses in experiments towards him, and Vanitas grabs it desperately, bringing it to his face and inspecting it closely.

He laughs then, a surprised noise.

“I’m free.” He whispers.

“Van?” Ven takes a step closer, and Vanitas swings his gaze over to them once more, wild-eyed.

“I’m _free.”_ He says again, words like a death gasp, and then he sinks into a puddle of darkness, vanishing completely.

“Wh- Vanitas!” Sora rushes forward, but he’s already gone, and Sora stumbles to a confused stop.

He looks back at Ven, who looks stunned and hurt, and then to Riku and Kairi who look sad and concerned respectively.

“He ran.” Ven says, and the words are simple and blunt, tinged with only the faintest traces of disbelief. 

“Why would he…?” Kairi starts to ask, but pauses as Riku puts a hand on her shoulder and shakes his head minutely. Sora steps toward Ventus, who he can tell is trying not to waver.

“I should have seen it coming.” Ven says, forcing a smile. “Can’t- can’t really blame him.”

Sora feels his heart break a little as Ven’s voice cracks, both for himself and for Ven.

No, they couldn’t blame him. They all knew what had been done to Vanitas. Who wouldn’t want to run from everything that reminded them of how they’d been torn asunder?

It still hurts.

 _“He might come back.”_ Xion tries to reassure him. _“It’s probably just a lot to take in at once.”_

Roxas isn’t so sure, but he doesn’t say so, for which Sora is grateful. He feels empty enough already.

Sora opens his arms, and Ven falls into them gratefully. Sora pretends for a moment that it’s just another day and nothing has changed.

It doesn’t help.

-

Vanitas tumbles out into the badlands and for a moment it makes everything part of his being paralyze in fear.

Then the moment passes, and he looks around the barren wasteland with new eyes. Red eyes.

His eyes are _red._

Xehanort has no hold on him, and he knows that for certain now. There is some sort of irony in his instinctive portal bringing him here, but he has no desire to delve into it. He kicks at a rock and watches it scatter across the dirt with a laugh.

He spits, purely to desecrate. 

“Fuck you!” He shouts to the open waste and no one in particular. _“Fuck_ you! I win!”

He laughs again, longer, louder. No monsters pour from him, no inky black drips from his mouth. His heart jumps with glee without any accompanying pain. His body feels like a complete thing, unlike the jumbled shards he had been before.

Vanitas’ laughter descends to giggles, and then finally peters out, though the giddy joy beneath his breast remains. He looks down, plucking at the basic clothing he’d woken in.

He has the ability to choose now. Even the concept of it is a little overwhelming but the fact that he can choose at all brings a manic grin to his face. Where to go? Doesn’t matter.

He has all the worlds in the verse to choose from.

He opens a portal without looking at where it’s going and walks through it, leaving only the windblown rock waste behind him.

-

“So, how’s it feel to be part of the Human Again Club?” 

“Lea!” Ventus sits up, grinning widely, signing his name- fire, dance- out of simple habit. Lea sits next to him, lounging and taking up far more of the bench than he really needs to. Ven shoves at his intruding leg with an indulgent laugh. “It’s good. Kinda weird though.”

“Weird?” Lea raises an eyebrow. Ven nods.

“Yeah like… I forgot wind had a feeling? It’ll startle me sometimes when I’m not expecting it. And smells. I completely forgot how bad things can smell.” He wrinkles his nose, and Lea laughs.

“That’s both hilarious and sad.” Lea comments. Ven shrugs.

“It’s weird… but it’s nice too. Me and Aqua both forgot a lot about food, so we’ve been going around taste testing stuff and just kinda… relearning everything. It’s been a lot of fun, actually.”

“Leave it to you to bring the bright side out, huh?” Lea smiles indulgently. “Speaking of bright sides, where’s yours?”

Ven’s expression grows sad.

“I dunno. We’re still hoping he’ll come back eventually. Never thought I’d miss him like this.”

“Sora’s missing?” Lea sits bolt upright in concern, and Ven looks at him in confusion.

“No? He’s up in Merlin’s napping.” He says, gesturing to Merlin’s deceptively small abode behind them. Lea relaxes. “I was talking about Vanitas.”

“Oh.” Lea says. “Why would you think I was talking about him? I barely know the guy.”

“Oh shut up.” Ven rolls his eyes. “He ran from us and I’m worried about him. It’s on my mind.”

“Fair enough I guess.” Lea shrugs, turning his gaze to Merlin’s house. “Suppose I shouldn’t interrupt if the shrimp is napping though, huh?”

“Please don’t.” Ven asks. “He’s been barely sleeping as it is. I’m worried about him too, honestly.”

“Kid always seemed like he’s got it handled.” Lea says, the concern returning. Ven nods.

“Yeah. He’s a great kid, but he’s still just a kid. Him, Riku, Kairi….”

Lea pats his shoulder in commiseration.

“So were we.”

“That doesn’t make it fair.” Ven scowls. Lea chuckles.

“Never said it did.”

“Ughhh.” Ven groans, leaning back against the bench. “Why can’t things just be simple for once?”

“Because life sucks.” Lea says frankly. “But it’s better than being dead, so there’s that at least.”

“True enough.” Ven sighs. 

“So you, Sora, Riku, Aqua, the King.. Still not quite the full team seven yet, and Xehanort could make the call to gather at any time.”

“And you.” Ven reminds. “Even thinks he might be done another body before too long, so either Roxas or Xion will be part of that too.”

“They’re gonna let themselves get jumbled up in this whole light vs dark mess?” Lea frowns, seeming almost upset by the notion. Ven nods.

“They want to help. Without at least one of them we’re one short, since Vanitas… Well.” Ven shrugs. Lea’s scowl grows more pronounced.

“Fuck.” He whispers, almost as if to himself. Ven gives him a sympathetic look.

None of it was fair, after all.

“Wanna spar, like we did before?” Ven offers, hoping to change the tone of the conversation just a little.

“Sure.” Lea rolls with the sudden switch easily. They could both use a fun distraction after all.

They square up in Merlin’s surprisingly spacious backyard, both deciding to keep clear of the flower patch. Merlin could get quite touchy about his flowers, and considering Aerith often helped tend them they’d likely be in double trouble if they didn’t.

Ven takes the first swing, and Lea dances around it with a grin. They’re both a lot more skilled than they had been as teenagers, no toy weapons at play here, but the back and forth retains a childish quality to it that brings smiles to both their faces.

“Any luck with you?” Ven asks as he ducks under a flung chakram. Lea grunts as it returns having missed it’s target.

“Not even a whisper.” He answers. “And I know him. If he had left me any kind of message, I would have gotten it. Which means either he hasn’t tried, or he can’t.”

“Really should have gotten you guys both phones.” Ven laments, and it makes Lea snort a laugh, transforming chakram to keyblade and going back and forth with Ven for a few rounds.

“Didn’t think we’d need ‘em. And they’re not exactly easy to make, if the chipmunks aren’t lying anyway. -ha- And I can’t imagine why they would.” Lea says, dancing back a few steps to regain his distance advantage as he flings a chakram out once more. “Besides, too easy to track. I like my anonymity.”

“I doubt they’re lying.” Ven chuckles, jumping over the throw and activating his Wingblade command style, reveling in the freedom of movement he hasn’t felt in so long. “Riku asked them- hyah!- to make a bunch for me and the others earlier, but they said it’s gonna be a while.”

“Someone needs to get them some assistants or something.” Lea, to Ven’s surprise, gets up close and personal- not something usually recommended against Wingblade- but his agile grace works with him, dodging each ethereal blade fast enough to let him strike Ven solidly in the chest, knocking him back. A cleverly placed foot trips Ven up further, and a moment later finds Lea standing over Ven triumphantly.

“Heh.” Ven chuckles as Lea offers him a hand up. “I guess you’ve gotten better, huh?”

“Or you just got worse.” Lea teases, but there’s no heat in it. Ven taps at his arm.

“You want to get dinner with us? I’m hungry and Aqua and Riku are supposed to be back soon.”

“Nah, you guys go. I got stuff to do, the usual. Gonna see if I can grab Roxas and Xion real quick for a chat.”

Ven nods.

“Okay, well. Don’t be a stranger.” Ven starts to jog off, waving behind him as he goes. “See ya.”

“Bye, Ven.” Lea waves, but though the wave is lackluster it doesn’t matter, Ven has already turned away and headed out the gate.

He vanishes from sight, and Lea leans against the brick of a nearby wall, to all appearances completely alone.

“Did you have fun?” A voice from the shadows asks. Lea scowls.

“Tons. Now we had an agreement. Bring me to my friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no mirrors in the heart places, and no one thought to tell vanitas what colour his eyes were. also hey remember what i said about characters making _monumentally_ stupid decisions?


	20. To watch his woods fill up with snow.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Return to San Fran Sokyo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bit of a slower chapter, as various characters take a moment to catch up with each other. I’m really glad I had this one already saved in drafts bc my poor old computer decided to give up the ghost a couple days ago and trying to upload from mobile sucks. Also sent much of my life up into an air of uncertainty due to how much of it relies on my computer, but mostly the mobile thing.

It’s a nice day, which means Riku isn’t surprised when Aqua keeps the blindfold up for nearly all of their outing.

They’re not really out to do anything specific, just take a brief moment of downtime before the next inevitable task set before them. Well, that and…

“Should we be in public like this?” Aqua worries. “He isn’t… Well.” _‘and neither am I’_ is unspoken but heard.

“I know.” Riku shrugs. “There’s a place nearby we won’t be interrupted, I just thought it might be nice to pick up some snacks first. You like papaya’s?”

She doesn’t know. He gets some anyway.

His phone chimes and he pulls it out. Cute little personalised reminders from Data Sora, updates from the others.. He tries not to frown. Another conversation he has to have later.

He puts the phone away again as he leads Aqua down a familiar path, though less so than it used to be. The stonework has been cleaned up, no longer outright dangerous for anyone other than experienced adventurers, and stairways have been put in place for some of the more inaccessible areas. Aqua follows his lead readily, no reaction as the sound of flowing water grows louder.

The Rising Falls are beautiful, despite the hollow feeling they still give Riku to this day. The memory of waking here alone, knowing but not acknowledging what he had done- it’s a memory he doesn’t think will ever truly leave him. Nor should it.

Still, it’s out of the way, and few come down these paths, so it’s a good place for them to talk privately, without risk of the others walking in on them.

They settle at the very bottom, where strangely the roar of the rising water is quietest, affording an almost harmonious hum in the background as they sit. Riku lays out an old blanket he had borrowed from Merlin before stepping back.

Terra rises from the shadows, settling in front of Aqua in the closest approximation of a sit that he can manage.

“It’s shaded here.” Riku comments. “Not quite so bright, so if you want..”

-

Aqua takes his hint and reaches up to pull down the blindfold. It’s still a little too bright and she winces, but not so much that it’s painful. Her gaze rests on Terra, and it’s a complicated emotion that she has on seeing him again, but most of all… she’s just glad he’s here with her.

“Terra.” She greets, and in response he reaches up to run large fingers gently through her white hair. Riku moves away as much as he can, pulling out his phone in an attempt to give them some privacy.

“Hey.” He says, voice rough. Her eyes grow wet.

“I’m sorry, you know.” Aqua puts her own hand on top of his as he cups her cheek. “I tried to save you. I really did.”

“I know.” He murmurs. “It was my blindness that led us here in the first place. I’m sorry too.”

“And now here we are.” Aqua says, self recrimination evident in her tone. “What would the Master think, both of us tainted by darkness like this?”

Terra’s gaze turns downward, glowing yellow eyes somber.

“He’d be heartbroken.” He says, but then continues, “But.. He was only human. Us, Riku, V-... It’s made me see. The Master was wrong. Or at least- he wasn’t completely right.” Speaking was easier for the wraith now, but he still stumbled over his words sometimes, forcing them from a body that was both real and not.

Aqua’s lips thin. It goes against every worldview she’d been raised with… but the last ten years had already shaken everything she’d believed anyways. What was one more, really?

“It feels terrible to say.” She admits, avoiding either agreeing or disagreeing. “It almost seems easier to call myself a monster than admit that he might have been wrong.”

“You’re not a monster, Aqua.” Terra shakes his head, making armour clink and dark antennae wave. “Neither of us are. We’re just.. Different now. A little broken, maybe. That doesn’t make us monsters.”

“What _does_ that make us?” Aqua wonders. She pulls his hand down, tracing hers over the back of his, touching the inky ‘skin’ gently.

“I don’t know.” He answers. “Does it matter?”

She has to pause at that.

“Maybe.”

“And maybe not.” Terra returns. “Maybe the world isn’t as black and white as we were taught. Maybe it’s just a lot of shades of gray with the black and white painted over top.”

She thinks on it, and gives him a small smile.

“Maybe.” She allows. “It’s hard, letting go of everything I once knew. You’ve become really wise over the years, Terra.”

He ducks his head, and if he could he would be blushing.

“Just.. had a lot of time to think about it is all.”

-

Riku sits at a short distance, trying his absolute best not to eavesdrop, but honestly even with the soft roar of the rising falls and their quiet voices it’s difficult. He fiddles with his phone, going through the backlog of messages and notes- a ton of selfies from Sora, which brings a smile to his face like it always does. Incorrigible.

A little reminder pops up at the top of the screen; Data Sora reminding him that he’d promised himself to call Mickey later… Which in turns reminds him that he needs to talk with the little AI. No matter how much he doesn’t want to.

He brings up the little chat box. No better time than the present.

 _RoadtoDawn:_ Have you left my phone at all?

 _MiniS_ : no

 _RoadtoDawn:_ Sora…. :/

MiniS: i know i know, i just…

Riku sighs. He gets it.

 _RoadtoDawn:_ You miss him.

 _MiniS:_ yeah

 _RoadtoDawn:_ and I remind you of him

 _MiniS:_ im sorry

Riku remembers crafting a shadow made of darkness, one with familiar spiked hair, teaching it to dance, to spar. He can relate.

 _RoadtoDawn:_ It’s okay. But.. It’s not healthy either. You should go see the others. Kairi’s barely seen you and she’s worried.

That one he’s knows for sure, since she’d lamented the fact to him not long ago.

 _RoadtoDawn:_ and I know Sora’s always happy to help however he can

He also knows that for fact.

 _MiniS:_ yeah

 _MiniS:_ sorry for being a bother

Riku frowns. Where did this sort of self-recrimination come from? He doesn’t like it. (The irony isn’t lost on him)

 _RoadtoDawn:_ you’re not a bother, I promise. I’m always happy to see you. I’m just worried.

 _MiniS:_ oh

 _MiniS:_ Okay

Riku hopes he’s gotten through to the little AI. He likes text really, even if he isn’t great at it, but sometimes tone gets difficult.

 _MiniS:_ ill go see k then and skip over to s after. call me if u need me!

 _RoadtoDawn:_ of course

Riku sighs in relief as Data Sora’s icon vanishes from the corner, indicating that he’d left. They had enough problems with people isolating themselves, he doesn’t want to see Data Sora doing it too. He wants to talk to the original Sora at some point too, but so far it’s been difficult to find a time and a place, a fact that he’s sure galls them both. At least he has reception now, which means they can at least text each other.

Of course thinking about that makes him think of Naminé, and then Vanitas, two cases they haven’t been able to resolve, though he hopes they’ve made at least a little progress with Naminé. He hasn’t gotten any texts from Kairi since they went out with Haru.. was no news good news? He wasn’t sure. He resists the urge to message her asking for updates.

… But he gives in eventually, and to his relief the response seems to be good. Naminé was out and about at least, and she and Haru were talking, which under the circumstances could only be a good thing. He starts up a back and forth with Kairi, who seems to be in a similar sort of third-wheeling position. It’s enough to draw his attention away from the gentle reunion happening behind him for a little while at least.

Finally- and he’s not sure how long- he feels Terra’s presence return to its place in his heart and he turns to Aqua, still sitting on the blanket, looking wistful.

“Good talk?” He asks. She smiles, and he thinks it must have been, even if the smile is still a little sad.

“I’m sure you heard most of it.” She teases with a tilt of her head. He reaches out to give her a hand up, and they start to gather up the blanket and remaining snacks.

“Some, but I did manage to tune it out after a while.” He says, seeing no sense in lying about it. “You both seem like you needed it.”

“Yes.” Aqua nods. “We did. We talked about a lot of things, some of them… Very old. I still don’t know if I truly belong amongst the Guardians of Light like this, but if we’re all there is, then I suppose we’ll have to do.”

“Hey.” Riku says, a little stern. “You belong among us because you’re a friend. No one ever said a Guardian of Light had to be made of light themselves.”

To his surprise, Aqua lets out a small laugh.

“I never looked at it that way.” She says. “Thank you, Riku.”

“My pleasure.” He nods. “I’ve been there too. It just takes some time.”

She smiles just a little wider, grateful for his reassurance. They make their way up to the center square of the rebuilt Radiant Garden, and this time Aqua doesn’t put on the blindfold.

-

“So, where to?” Kairi asks as they board the gummiship. Riku hums thoughtfully.

“We do have some time to kill, since it’s going to be a while until they have another body ready, and Xehanort seems to be laying low. Up to you, Sora.”

Sora grins.

“Oh you guys are gonna love this place, it’s super cool!” He jogs up to the cockpit, jumping into the pilots seat. “I promised I’d come back and check on them, since I kinda had to rush off before.”

Haru shakes his head as he follows them in, tapping at his phone.

“You see what I have to deal with?” He snarks at it, and Data Sora’s tinny voice just laughs in return.

“And where is this super cool place?” Kairi teases him for his vagueness. Sora doesn’t even register it, still grinning.

“San Fran Sokyo!”

-

They land and are almost immediately greeted by new faces.

“Sora!” Hiro cheers as he sees them coming, jumping off Baymax as they approach, the rest of his team not far behind him. “You came back!”

“Hey, I promised didn’t I?” Sora grins. “And I brought my friends! This is Riku and Kairi! You remember Haru.”

“Nice to meet you.” Hiro greets politely. “Sora was really excited when he heard you were back from.. Wherever you were.”

Kairi giggles and Riku can’t help a fond smile as Sora flushes.

“So, how have things been here?” Sora asks, deflecting back to their reason for coming. “Doing okay?”

“Oh you know, a hero’s work is never done and all that.” Honey Lemon dismisses. Gogo huffs.

“Those microbots are becoming a serious problem though.” She points out. Sora frowns.

“Still?”

“Yeah!” Fred chimes in. “It’s like- nothing we do can even put a dent in ‘em.”

“They have to be coming from somewhere.” Hiro says. “Or they wouldn’t be able to replenish themselves like they have. They’re not self replicating, I checked.”

“The problem is we don’t know where.” Wasabi says. “Every time we think we’re close, it’s like it up and moves.”

“Well, more hands make less work, right?” Kairi says, looking across her group. “Think we can help?”

“Totally!” Sora cheers. “I’m sure we can help you guys track this thing down.”

“Thanks, Sora, guys.” Hiro nods to the group gratefully. “That means a lot.”

“Let’s head back to the garage, get you guys caught up on what we know.” Honey Lemon says, and Hiro nods.

“Good idea.”

-

After being debriefed on the places that had already been searched, what kind of patterns and damage the microbots tended to follow, and various ideas for how to track down the source next, the groups were set loose upon the city, splitting up into teams of two for safety’s sake.

Haru and Kairi are exploring the city’s downtown, eyes peeled for disturbances, but both are admittedly distracted by the bright city lights and attractions that buzz about the cool evening air.

“This really is a cool place.” Kairi says, doing a slow twirl. “There’s no cities like this on the islands- even the worlds we’ve travelled to aren’t usually this… packed!”

“Yeah.” Haru nods. “It’s pretty.. Overwhelming. Don’t get too distracted. We’re still on a mission.”

Kairi pokes her tongue out at him.

“I know that.”

No sooner had she spoken then does a clatter ring out nearby as a swarm of the aforementioned bots spring out of an alleyway, tearing through the aisle of market stalls and then vanishing down another in mere seconds. Haru and Kairi give each other a nod and then take off after it at a run.

Their blades aren’t exactly effective against it, but thankfully it seems more interested in wanton destruction than it is in going after them specifically. Kairi grunts as it swings her against a wall, more reactionary than aggressive, but a potion clears her up quickly and she’s back on her feet moments later.

They think they’re finally making a dent in it when it turns suddenly, vanishing into the sewer grates on the road and disappearing from sight. Kairi sighs in annoyance.

“So much for that.” She scowls. “Was it just me, or was that kind of weird to you?”

Haru’s phone chimes and he pulls it out, finding Data Sora looking thoughtful on the screen.

“What’s up?” He asks.

“Kairi’s right, it is weird.” He says. “It’s also familiar? I'm having trouble pinpointing it though.”

“Familiar how?” Kairi asks, stepping closer so she can see the little sprite too. Data Sora hums, shifting back and forth as he thinks.

“They remind me of some of the Bugs from the journal. Not in how they act- though I guess a little? No legs though. Ugh, I’m not explaining this very well. I don’t think there’s words for this in flesh space.”

“There’s words for it in code space then?” Haru asks, and Data Sora nods.

“Yeah. It’s like when you’ve got two completely different things, but they feel similar, because they’re coded by the same person.”

“Interesting. Like an… Artistic style.” Kairi says, making the connection. Data Sora nods excitedly.

“Yeah! Like that!”

“Well, who made the bugs then?” Haru asks. “It might be a clue.”

Data Sora frowns, expression falling.

“That’s.. Complicated. Cause they started when the journal got digitized- and made us. The transfer from paper to digital messed with a code and made the bugs, and since Riku was the journal, they got kinda… jumbled in with Riku’s code. It’s a whole thing I’ll tell you the story later. But anyway, the short version is I’m not totally sure. Like Riku didn’t make them, but they’re also kind of from him?”

“What are the chances these microbots have something to do with Data Riku?” Kairi asks, gnawing on her bottom lip in worry. Data Sora jerks back, offended.

“N-No way! Riku wouldn’t deliberately make something to hurt people like this.”

“It honestly didn’t seem to want to hurt us, though.” Haru points out. Kairi shakes her head.

“Not directly, but it’s been doing a lot of damage around the city, which can hurt people indirectly. Hiro said they took out the bridge supports once.”

“Right.” Haru sighs. “Still, even if he’s not directly involved, there’s a chance he’s part of this somehow. We just need to figure out how.”

 _“Maybe.”_ Data Sora stresses. “Maybe he’s involved. He wouldn’t hurt anyone though!”

“Come on.” Haru gestures for Kairi to follow. “Let’s head back to the garage and give everyone the update. I’ll text Sora on the way.”

-

“It’s interesting, but not much more to go on than we had before.” Gogo pops some gum in her mouth. “So what do we do now?”

“We need to draw them out somehow.” Sora suggests. “Keep them from running off.”

“Or keep them from going through an area we can’t follow, let us tag them to the source.” Riku offers an alternative. Hiro rests his chin on his hands, thinking hard.

“They’re so small though. And they can fly.” Wasabi points out. “How do you keep something like that from going wherever they like?”

“We can’t, really.” Fred sags. “It’s hopeless, not even my sick moves can help now.”

“If I had some way to… to direct them, maybe, I could figure something out, but everything I’ve tried so far has just bounced off them like a firewall. I can’t get into the code, what bits of it I’ve managed to pick up from scanning them is really obtuse and backwards.”

It’s Kairi’s phone that chimes this time. She pulls it out, finding Data Sora waving his arms excitedly.

“Maybe I can help with that!”

Kairi turns the phone to Hiro, who takes it curiously.

“You can help?” He asks the little sprite.

“Yeah! Well, maybe. I’m not as good at the code stuff as my tre- Riku is, but I can definitely read it. If you can come up with the way to get them to do what we want, I can- well, translate, basically.”

Hiro frowns.

“That’s not really how coding works-”

“Nono, trust me.” Data Sora waves his hands. “I’m a little unconventional I know, but I really think if we team up we can come up with something useful.”

“Well,” Hiro cracks his knuckles. “Can’t hurt to try I guess. Do you have a number I can call you on so I don’t have to steal Kairi’s phone?”

“Oh!” Data Sora says, and a moment later he appears on Hiro’s computer screen nearby. “Does this work better?”

“Wha- how did you do that? I have the best encryption and firewall software available, and upgraded by me personally!” Hiro scoots his chair closer, dumbfounded. Data Sora rubs the back of his head embarrassed, and the original Sora nearby makes a similar motion as he realises that Hiro didn’t know what the Data version was.

“Uhhh don’t worry about it? Code works a bit different for me. Most people wouldn’t be able to waltz in like this, I promise.” He tries to console. Hiro just looks at the screen doubtfully.

“If you say so..” He says, and Data Sora just waves cheerily.

“I do! So what do you say, ready to figure out how to herd these bug-bots?”

That does make Hiro smile at least, and he nods.

“Let’s do it.”

-

The others disperse, especially when it becomes clear that this is no small undertaking between the boy and the AI, who assure them it will be at least a day before they have something to test.

The hero’s go back to hero-ing, and Sora’s group helps out, but there aren’t always fires to put out and people to save, which leaves them some downtime.

Sora takes full advantage of it, dragging Riku and Kairi off to see all the sights of the big city he’d looked at before and wanted to bring them to.

There’s more shops and styles in this one section of the city than Sora thinks he’s seen in all the worlds he’s been to combined. The sheer variety and energy of the place is entrancing, and he delights in the discovery of so many new things, Riku and Kairi beside him (as they should be).

Kairi finds a store full of a wide array of dresses and skirts, and they spend an hour trying them on, with Riku as their appreciative peanut gallery. Another store with jewellery. Sora manages to find a Wisdom Ring to replace his now very worn Master’s Earring, talks Riku into letting Sora buy him a Sorcerer’s Ring, and Kairi is delighted when he presents her with a Star Bangle.

Munny is really no issue, heartless drop them like nobodies business (and so do most nobodies for that matter), and Sora is just happy to make them happy too.

The sun sets, and the neon lights of the city grow bright as the evening crowds come out, ready for a party on a saturday night. It’s at that point that Sora notices Riku looking a little out of it, eyes glazed and movements listless, and he and Kairi pull him aside into a nearby alley.

“You okay?” Kairi asks. Riku nods, swallowing dryly.

“I’m fine.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know what that was. It’s dumb.”

“It’s not dumb.” Sora protests, taking Riku’s hands. “Seriously, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Riku repeats. “There was just.. A lot of people. All of a sudden.”

Kairi nods.

“You got overwhelmed.” She says. “That’s okay. You wanna head back or just take a break?”

“Just a quick break.” Riku shakes his head, unwilling to cut their outing short. “I don’t want to stop.”

“Okay.” Sora nods. “But make sure to tell us if you need another one or if you want to stop. It’s no fun if you’re not having fun too!”

Riku nods, sending a smile to both Sora and Kairi.

Sora’s stomach flip-flops again. He should really get that checked.

_(inside, Roxas wants to scream. “How do I know more about this than you do?” Xion just pats him on the back in commiseration, closing the window outside and leading him away to give them privacy… and keep Roxas from saying anything too soon.)_

They return to the now busy streets, dashing from store to vendor to attraction, drinking it all in. It’s all so different from the sleepy nature of the islands, or even the busier places like Mulan’s world. The whole feel was vibrant in a way they couldn’t explain.

They return to the ship exhausted but pleased, toting a number of bags and new foods with them, to be tried at their leisure. Riku sets them in the back, and Sora collapses on the nearest cot with a happy but exhausted groan.

Kairi falls in nearly on top of him, making him laugh as he shoves her off, kickstarting an impromptu pillow fight that Riku is pulled into despite his best efforts to avoid it. There’s no clear winner, but at the end they find themselves panting and lying side by side on the too-small cots that have been shoved together.

Sora smiles to himself, feeling whole and right for the first time since-

No, don't think about that. Stay in the moment.

He turns over, curling into Kairi’s side, leaving all thoughts of shame and embarrassment by the wayside in his tiredness. She hums happily, and he hears Riku shift on Kairi’s other side, reaching blindly across both their bodies to pull them close.

He wants to stay like this forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> had to give sora a little bit of happy time after how rough he's had it lately. and later.


	21. My little horse must think it queer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reunion goes badly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please do not correct me on how trojan horses work, i am tech illiterate and that's not going to change. just suspend your disbeleif bc its kh and everything is weird anyway.
> 
> also it's hilarious to me that the only chapter that mentions horses in any way got the only line of either poem with the word horse in it

Tomorrow comes, and by midday they have a ping from Data Sora saying they have a way to corral the microbots.

“How’s it work?” Sora asks, and then rethinks that. “Actually nevermind, I probably wouldn’t understand it.”

“That’s okay, I probably can’t explain it.” Data Sora says cheerily. “Which is why Hiro is gonna do it.”

Hiro chuckles, turning on his swivel chair to face the group fully.

“I won’t get too technical with it. In short, me and uh, Data? We made a workaround virus, kinda like a trojan horse, that remotely burrows into the microbots systems and tells it to return to base, while simultaneously keeping it from going too fast or going through any area we can’t follow.”

“What’s the catch?” Haru asks, and Hiro picks up a chip that had been lying on the table next to his keyboard.

“You’re going to have to get up close and personal.” Hiro says as he holds the chip up. “It’s a remote download _but_ it’s a big one, and it’s got a really short range. So! This needs to be planted on the control bots- doesn’t need to be plugged in, they just need to touch. I’ve made it so it’ll stick to really specific types of tech, so you won’t have to do more than that.”

“Cooool.” Sora appreciates the ingenuity even if he has no idea how it works. He reaches out and takes the chip, so seemingly small and innocent.

“Be careful with it!” Data Sora says seriously. “I’m on there too!”

“You are?” Sora blinks, turning the tiny chip over in his hand.

“Well, parts of me. It’s not a full copy, but enough to be able to direct things with the actual me being on the network coordinating it. We didn’t have enough time to build a full program from scratch, so we used my own code to substitute since it needs to be able to adapt on the fly to the microbots decisions- and I’m really good at that.”

“Uhhhh..” Kairi looks up at Riku, but he just shrugs. They’re both better at computers than Sora, but this is beyond them too. Data Sora rubs the back of his head, sensing that he’s lost them.

“Basically, _I’m_ the trojan horse.” Data Sora says with a grin, proud of their accomplishment.

“Alright, we have a plan then.” Haru says, pleased. “Which means now comes the hard part.”

Hiro nods.

“My team is already out in the city keeping an eye out for the bots. There’s only one chip, so we’ll need to stay co-ordinated so that whoever’s carrying it can get to the bots before they disappear again. Here, I know you have phones, but these are hands free and faster.” Hiro says as he hands out several in-network comm devices they can slip over their ears, which they do without delay.

“I’ll hold onto it.” Sora says, pocketing the chip. “I’m probably the fastest one here if we need to get across the city quickly.”

“Good idea.” Riku nods. “Too bad Ven isn’t here though. He always liked to brag about how fleet-footed he was.”

“Probably not anymore.” Kairi laughs. “Have you seen him tripping over his own feet since he came back? It’s going to be a bit before he can reclaim _that_ title.”

“It’s fine, I can do it.” Sora rests his free hand on his hip. “Just watch me.”

-

They set out, splitting up once more to cover as much ground as possible.

It’s hard, keeping their eyes peeled when they have no idea where- or when- the microbots might show up, and Sora for his part ends up mostly meandering.

He passes by a shop, and pauses as Xion forms outside it, peering into the glass like a child distracted by bright colours.

The clothing inside features all sorts, like where Sora and Kairi had played dress-up before, and Xion looks across them with a sense of longing.

 _“We’ve never actually… gotten to choose what we wear. Always just the coats, or what we wear born in.”_ Roxas says. Xion nods, still looking into the window. _“It looked like fun. Picking clothes.”_

“We should later.” Sora nods. “When you guys have your own bodies we’ll go shopping, and I’ll buy you whatever clothes you want.” It’s just another reminder of how many things they’re missing out on, being trapped with Sora.

“I see them!” Kairi’s voice comes over the little communication device in Sora’s ear. “South-east!”

“I see them too.” Riku now. “They’re headed north. Sora?”

“I’m by downtown.” Sora confirms. “How close?”

“They’re moving fast, but if you cut through Mayberry you should meet up with them.” Hiro next. Sora nods, taking a quick glance around to confirm his direction and then taking off at a run, skidding across rails and dashing to cut his time more. He has no idea where Mayberry is, but thankfully Hiro has him covered, giving him a handy little waypoint to head towards.

He scales one of the taller buildings, spotting the swarm closing in rapidly. He grins as he hops to another rooftop for a better position, waiting a moment, timing his jump, and then-

Freefall!

The swarm flies directly below him, and it’s thick enough that it even cushions his fall for a brief moment. He reaches out blindly with the chip in hand, and catches lucky as it strikes something solid, the chip yanked away from him as it sticks to its target.

He hits the ground with a roll, up and running again with barely a breath.

“I got it!” He calls into the comm. “It’s headed with the sun!”

“West.” Kairi clarifies.

“We know which direction the sun goes.” Gogo’s tone has the distinct echo of an eye roll.

“Maybe you do.” Fred grumbles. “I can never keep it straight for some reason.”

“Come on guys,” Hiro rally’s. “Looks like it’s heading for the high-rises. We’ll try to meet up there if it continues past them.”

It doesn’t though, swirling around the base of one before swinging abruptly upwards towards the top of one of the tallest buildings, collecting at the top like some kind of ominous cloud.

“That must be our source.” Wasabi says, all serious. They gather around the bottom of the building, looking up at it.

“Seems likely.” Haru agrees.

“Ready?” Sora looks around, receiving a chorus of nods and affirmations in return.

They scale the building, and to their surprise, the bots don’t attempt to block them, and they pass through as if through a cloud rather than previously aggressive tech.

There are two people there waiting for them, both in black coats, and both with their hoods up.

“Who are you?” Hiro initiates. “Where did you get this tech?”

The shorter one walks forward, dropping his hood as he approaches. The bots surrounding them seem to stutter for a moment.

“Riku?” Sora asks, confused, glancing over to where his own Riku stands next to him, eyes narrowed.

“Mh. Yes and no.” The one in the coat shrugs. “Hi, Sora.”

The bots stutter again, and Sora’s phone makes an attention grabbing series of beeps, and Sora pulls it out, bewildered.

“What’s he doing?!” Data Sora cries from the little screen, anguished. “What are you _doing_ Riku?”

Data Riku looks on at them, expression unchanging through sheer force of will.

“What I have to.”

Sora holds the little phone up so the Data’s can see each other, and that’s when Data Riku finally flinches, confronted with just how heartbroken Data Sora looks.

“You’re fighting for them? Why? You’ll die, Riku!”

“I have to!” Data Riku shouts before visibly trying to reign himself in. “I _have_ to.”

“Why?” Data Sora’s tears turn pixelated and grainy as they start to fall, the phone struggling to keep up with their number.

“Because if I didn’t they would have taken you instead, and I couldn’t allow that.”

Data Sora looks like he’s been gut punched.

“But-” He stutters. “But-!”

“Let it go.” Data Riku shakes his head. “I’ll be fine.”

“You don’t know that.” Riku shakes his head, frustrated. “And that doesn’t explain all this with the microbots.”

“Yeah Riku.” Data Sora wipes at his eyes. “Why would you hurt people? This isn’t you.”

“I needed data.” Data Riku shrugs. “And resources. Stuff I can’t get normally, so I found the bots and modded them to my purposes, but the nature of how I found them makes them.. Unpredictable.”

A dark portal opens, and a third figure in a black coat walks out. Young Master Xehanort glances between the groups, his eyes landing strangely on the still hooded second figure, who appears to look away at the scrutiny.

“So that’s what you’ve been doing.” The young master says far too calmly. “Causing so much damage- my, you do fit right in with us, don’t you?”

“You know where I got them.” Data Riku snorts. “Knowing you, I bet you did something to them even.”

“Did I now?” Xehanort laughs, striding over to the wall of bugs still swirling around them. He strikes out suddenly, bringing his hand back with a single tiny bot between his fingers.

So small it takes the rest of them a moment to realise it’s the one with the chip on it.

He crushes it without fanfare, and then the wall of bots seizes, glitching erratically until they fall away completely, their guidance having vanished so suddenly.

“Ah-!” Data Sora cries out as his connection to that part of himself is suddenly cut off, and Sora turns the phone towards himself in concern as Data Riku’s eyes widen.

“Complacent.” Xehanort chides as he walks back towards where Data Riku stands stiffly. “I’d be careful if I were you. There’s always more to replace you if you get sloppy.”

Data Riku says nothing, and Young Xehanort strides back into a portal, leaving as swiftly as he had come. The second hooded figure steps forward, whispering something to the boy the rest cannot hear.

Data Riku shakes his head.

“Sora-” He calls out, voice fearful and strangled. “Is he okay?”

“I’m fine.” Data Sora gasps, but he’s more pixelated than he was before. “Well.. I’ll be fine. I can rewrite all that. Probably.”

“No, you’re terrible at code let me-” Data Riku starts to step forward but the third, still hooded figure holds him back with a heavy hand on his shoulder. He shakes his head, and Data Riku lets a hissing breath through his teeth.

“I’m sorry.” He says, stepping back. “Please take care of him.”

“What?” Data Sora cries out, sensing the finality. “No- Riku please just come home! Please!”

Data Riku shakes his head, gaze averted, and then turns and runs through a portal. The hooded figure with him pauses a moment to look back at the group, nods, and then vanishes into the portal as well.

Data Sora lets out a long, wailing cry, and then Sora’s phone shuts off completely.

-

It’s a long night.

The microbots are no longer a problem, but the team still has their job as heroes to attend to. Sora is uncharacteristically not really up to helping though, milling around Hiro’s garage while Hiro plugs away at his computer, Sora’s phone hooked up to it and code streaming across both devices.

Riku and Kairi are nearby, equally worried, and equally unsure what to do. Haru had elected to go out with the rest of Hiro’s team to try and burn some energy off instead.

Hiro for his part is dedicated, not stopping at all except when occasionally poked by Kairi into eating and by Riku into staying hydrated. Sora keeps pacing. The night grows late, and both Riku and Kairi end up asleep on the couch, leaning against each other in a tangle that looks comfortable despite how chaotic it is.

Eventually even Hiro’s stubborn determination flags, and Sora looks up to find the boy slumped over his keyboard, snoring softly with a pen and paper still prepped under one hand where he’d been writing equations even as he’d been simultaneously inputting code.

Sora sighs, glancing down at the still blank phone sitting nearby, connected to the computer via a single thin wire.

 _“Go sleep.”_ Roxas urges. _“You’ll finish up tomorrow.”_

Sora doesn’t answer, though he goes through some storage bins and is lucky enough to find one stuffed with old, only slightly musty blankets. He drapes one over Hiro, and then another over Riku and Kairi. They look so.. Peaceful and sweet, cuddled together like this. He’d always felt most at peace with them both around him, but like this… He’s sort of unnecessary, isn’t he? He tucks the edges of the blanket in around the two of them a little more snugly, and then heads outside via the side door so as not to wake anyone.

 _“This isn’t sleep.”_ Xion chastises him. He ignores her too.

He breaks into a run, scaling walls and buildings, skating down the train rails, anything to try and leave the feeling of loss and hopelessness behind, but it doesn’t work. He can’t run from himself.

He’d failed again. He doesn’t know if Data Sora is going to be okay. He doesn’t know if he can make sure Data Riku will be okay, being on the other side now. He doesn’t know where Vanitas is or if he’s okay. He misses Ven so _much_ and feels horribly guilty about it. He’d left his moms behind. He doesn’t know what to do about Ienzo, or Xemnas, or Ansem. He’d finally gotten his friends back only to realize just how close they’d gotten without him. He was the extra piece in a puzzle that was already complete.

It’s all just.. So much.

He grits his teeth, pushing his body harder, faster. _Run,_ he tells himself, as if maybe if he sweats hard enough it will take all his feelings with it.

It doesn’t, and when exhaustion makes him trip badly as he crosses from one rail to another, he ends up skidding hard and painfully across the pavement below the tracks. He sits up, spitting blood from a split lip, and if anything the tumble just showcases what a failure he is to himself. He grimaces, tired and upset.

He’s mostly just lucky it’s four in the morning and there’s no traffic.

A hand takes him by the arm and pulls him up, and to Sora’s surprise he finds Haru there, dusting him off and offering him a cloth to wipe his lip.

“What are you doing here?” Sora asks, blunt in his tiredness. Haru shrugs.

“You’re not the only one who has trouble sleeping.” He frowns as Sora looks away.

“I dunno what you’re talking about.” Sora deflects. Haru frowns.

“Stop that.” He snaps, probably more harsh than he really intended to be. “You think we’re stupid?”

“What? No of course not.” Sora’s head shoots up, upset at the insinuation, and then chagrined as he processes it. “I just- I’m sorry. I’m tired.”

Haru’s expression softens.

“Me too. But I mean it. You don’t have to hide from me. From any of us.”

“I’m not hiding.” Sora shakes his head, even as Haru frowns again. “No, really. I just… don’t know what to say.”

Haru sighs.

“Come on. Maybe it’ll be easier if you get an hour or two of sleep first.” He leads Sora towards Hiro’s home- a fair distance walk by now, but Sora doesn’t protest, following him willingly.

“You’d think.” Sora mutters. “My brain won’t stop going though. Like I’m running out of time and every moment spent sleeping is just letting it waste away more.”

“All this has been pretty stressful.” Haru allows. “Try to remember we’re all here with you. We won’t let whatever terrible thing you’re afraid of come to pass, because we’re all fighting with you.”

“Yeah.” Sora nods. “I know that. It’s just all kinda scary.”

“It’s scary for us too.” Haru takes a deep breath. “I’m afraid of the things that might come to pass- for you, for Naminé… But we’re all in this together. That hasn’t changed. That won’t ever change.”

Sora doesn’t know why that makes him feel worse, like he doesn’t believe it. It doesn’t make sense, he knows for facts his friends would never abandon him _(Riku did. Donald and Goofy did. Vanitas did)_ so even though he tries so hard to hold on to that thought, it keeps slipping through his fingers like powdered glass.

He takes a deep breath.

“Thanks, Haru.”

“No problem.”

They walk in silence the rest of the way, and when Sora finally curls up on the couch opposite from where Riku and Kairi are curled together on one end, he is grateful that exhaustion finally wins and he falls asleep with almost no fuss this time.

-

Sora wakes to the quiet murmur of voices, blinking the crust from his eyes to see Riku and Kairi on the far side of the room leaning over Hiro and his computer clearly whispering to each other.

The sun slanting in from the narrow slits in the garage door indicate it’s well past morning, and probably closer to noon. He sits up, grateful for getting at least a few hours in, even if physically he might actually feel worse than before.

Riku looks up first, prompting Kairi to turn and see Sora sitting up and blinking blearily. Her face lights up.

“Sora!” She smiles. “You’re awake, sleepyhead.”

“Gimme a-” He yawns. “Break, Kairi.” He sits up, noting the blanket falling from his shoulders as he does. He doesn’t remember grabbing one before collapsing on the couch, and he wonders who put it on him. Wasn’t really necessary, he was used to sleeping in all sorts of environments.

Well, when he did sleep, anyway.

“Up and at ‘em.” Riku gently teases. “Breakfast first or news first?”

“Well, more like lunch,” Kairi notes. “But still.”

“News?” Sora perks up, chasing away the last of his sleepiness, if not the accompanying headache. “There’s news?”

“See for yourself.” Riku reaches out and Sora takes his hand, letting him pull him up and towards the computer where Hiro waits patiently for them.

Sora glances between them, curious, and the burgeoning hope in his chest starts to feel almost painful.

“Sora.” Hiro nods his head in polite greeting, and then gestures to his screen. There’s a moment's pause and then a window pops up, a familiar figure in it.

“Hey, guys.” Data Sora waves. He looks nearly as tired as Sora feels, but he’s there, and that’s all that Sora really cares about. “Sorry about scaring you.”

Sora’s face hurts, and he realises it’s because he’s grinning.

“Glad to have you back, mini-me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sora is spiraling pretty hard at this point unfortunately. you ever have it happen that when you're having a real bad time and then when you finally have a moments happiness it feels like everything is a thousand times worse after for its loss? its like that. it's half the situation getting to him and half... Other Things.
> 
> in other news i still have no computer. im using a borrowed laptop to post and *boy* did i not forget how much i hate laptop keyboards


	22. To stop without a farmhouse near

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two characters, two very different realizations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know that old saying, the road to hell is paved with good intentions? yes i hate it too, but sometimes things really do just go badly despite our best efforts.
> 
> general warning that there is an argument here that escalates quickly and physically, tread with caution if this is something you may not be okay with.

Saïx is sick of these empty wastelands.

How many months has he been here? He makes the occasional trip out, for replica bodies, for Xehanort’s tired and stale method of ‘recruiting’, for training of the young Eraqus and his friend, but ultimately it feels like he’s hardly left. Always hanging around with what was supposed to be an empty puppet.

Except the puppet isn’t so empty as he’d hoped. He doesn’t know if it’s a good thing or bad yet. The puppet not being empty he had been sure could only be bad, and yet as it had very occasionally displayed knowledge of things it couldn’t possibly know on its own, he has the tentative hope that perhaps the situation can yet be salvaged.

Very, very tentative.

If the body turns out to be somehow connected to the Xion he knows rests in Sora’s heart, it will make everything that much simpler. If it is merely siphoning memories as had been Xion’s original intent… Well. That will mean they are becoming their own person, and his plan has failed. Catastrophically. And that he’s brought yet another innocent soul into the midst of a battle it has no place being in.

The uncertainty gnaws at him, and the puppet themself is still too unsteady and non-present to ask. Still, he has other things he intends to accomplish. Lea’s safety, of course, and the girl in the cage. He knows one of the apprentices _must_ know where she went, and Xehanort has promised all he knows to him. It’s the only lead Saïx has at the moment, and he needs to follow through on it before the climactic battle, after which he is quite certain he won't be able to at all.

He’s penned several letters to Lea by now in their code detailing this, but without the critical information it remains incomplete, and with the threat of Xehanort’s watchful eye he has no reliable way to deliver it anyway. It frustrates Saïx immensely, but he reminds himself to be patient. He’d waited a decade. He can wait a little longer.

He’s quite miffed that Xigbar has all but vanished however. Of them all, he suspects Xigbar knew far more than he let on, and one of those things might just have been about the girl in the cage. A slim hope, perhaps, but a hope nonetheless.

Still, he follows what leads he can, probing questions under the guise of his usual work and coordination. Zexion had been too young, and DiZ too bitter and full of anger to question without letting on what he was really asking. Not that he expects the former Lord of Radiant Garden to actually know. The man had been utterly blind to the things going on directly under his nose.

The ache between his eyes pounds annoyingly. He’s not even sure what it’s from- the moon hanging low in the sky, pulling at his berserker powers, the bits of Xehanort’s heart trying to tug him in some specific direction, or just simple stress. He’s quite done with it regardless.

He leaves the replica alone for a bit, gone for not even ten minutes to portal off-world and then back again, two items in hand.

The replica is responsive today, he thinks, looking up at him from under their dark hood as he returns. He hands them the little bar of ice cream.

They tilt their head, taking it slowly.

“Something sweet, as a reward.” He answers the unasked question. In truth he hadn’t thought about it, needing something for himself and on impulse grabbing a second one for his ward as well.

He needs to do better by them. He’s just not sure what better is in this nebulous and uncertain case.

They unwrap the bar slowly, and he’ll admit to himself that he’s observing curiously to see the reaction.

A bite is taken, and their head jerks back in apparent surprise.

He lets himself smile a bit, at that.

Surprise is quickly overtaken as another bite is taken, then another, and the replica’s body starts to sway back and forth in an action Saïx is well acquainted with as quiet delight.

He turns to his own treat, unwrapping it and taking the first bite, savouring the nostalgic flavour.

A portal opens behind him, and he has to strangle an irritated sigh.

“Hello, Saïx.” Young Master Xehanort greets, and Saïx feels his headache return with reinforcements. It was baffling how the sweet young boy that had been brought with Eraqus turns into this irritatingly condescending young man in only the space of a few years… and then eventually into the terrible experience that is the elder Master Xehanort.

“Xehanort.” He greets neutrally. He doesn’t bother turning around, staying seated on his little outcropping of rock instead. He doesn’t have the energy for this, but he’ll do his best to at least keep his tone level.

“Would you like to meet the last of our Darknesses?” Xehanort asks, and there is something entirely too gleeful in his tone. Saïx doesn’t like it, but his energy levels make it difficult to care. He can hardly even bring himself to make note of the fact that apparently Xehanort had filled out at least one other spot without telling him, since last he was aware they were still two short.

“Say your piece and leave.” Saïx says shortly. “I haven’t the patience for you right now.”

“Nice to see you haven’t changed a bit, Isa.”

Saïx does stand then, turning to face the voice fast enough to nearly trip over himself in his haste.

No.

_No._

Lea… _Axel_ stares back at him with cold, terrifyingly golden eyes, and Saïx feels some delicately growing part of his heart break.

“What are you doing here?!” He hisses, trying everything in his power to keep himself composed. He doesn’t notice that the puppet nearby has stopped eating, turned towards them in naked curiosity.

Axel scoffs.

“Why do you think I’m here? I came looking for _you.”_ Axel steps forward, and though his words are flat there’s something angry and heated coming off him. Saïx knows this, just like he knows Axel.

Or rather… thought he did.

Young Xehanort laughs quietly as he steps back through the portal, apparently leaving them to the fallout, and Saïx is at least grateful for that.

“You idiot.” Saïx breathes. “You’ve ruined _everything.”_

Axel jerks back.

“Me?” He demands. _“You’re_ the one who up and vanished, and then showed up on the other side! I thought you were dead until that whole thing with the dream worlds!”

Saïx doesn’t remember that, actually. He has no idea what Axel’s talking about, but it doesn’t really matter.

“I left to keep you safe!” Saïx says, voice rising. “That was the deal, and now it’s utterly null and void through this- this stupidity!”

“And you couldn’t find some way to let me know?” Axel is shouting now too. “You left me completely in the dark, so I did what I thought I had to, because _I_ don’t abandon my friends!”

“You _should have!”_ Saïx roars, and he regrets it the moment he’s said it, as he sees the stricken look cross Lea’s face before it’s replaced by an incandescent fury.

“How fucking _dare_ you.” Axel’s tone is apoplectic. “How _dare you_ even suggest that! After everything we’ve been through, after you said you _loved_ me!”

“I did it _because_ I love you!” Saïx’s tone is no less dangerous. “It was me or it was you, and I wasn’t going to let it be you!”

“Leaving me out of it completely!” Axel throws up his hands. “You ever think, Isa, that maybe I would have wanted a say in all this? That maybe I should have a choice too?”

“Lea you’re not listening to me!” The pain between Saïx’s eyes pounds, and now he thinks it might be from holding back tears of hurt and anger. Axel throws his head back and scoffs.

“Yeah, I’m not!” He throws his hands wide, always so expressive, his Lea. Even when it’s turned against him. “Because you decided it was better to do _this_ than actually talk to me, none of which I find out until I make a deal with the damn devil himself!”

“That’s not what happened and you know it!” Saïx leans forward- they’re both too close, he can feel the heat on Axel’s breath. This isn’t how he imagined this.

“No! I DON'T, because YOU DIDN’T TALK TO ME!”

“That’s _not how it is-!”_

“THEN _TELL_ ME HOW IT IS!”

“I WOULD IF YOU WOULD STOP! _SHOUTING!”_

He gets too close, towering over Axel despite being the shorter of the two, and Axel lashes out, catching Saïx solidly in the face. He feels something crunch and multiply the pain tenfold, but he’s too angry to care, grabbing the offending arm and swinging the body over his shoulder and into the rock behind him. Axel’s on his feet in seconds, launching himself at Saïx before he has a chance to orient himself or even see what the damage is, nearly knocking him over.

It’s so… childish, really. Like how they’d fought when they were young and full of more emotion than sense, all close fisted hits and biting and pulling at hair. He’s vaguely aware that Axel is crying, and there’s blood smeared on his face that isn’t his.

There’s a small cry, so quiet compared to their squabbling, but it brings both of them to a halt as Axel sits solidly atop his chest. Saïx turns his head, and the angle is awkward but he sees the puppet standing nearby, their ice cream treat dropped to the dust only half finished.

Saïx briefly wonders what happened to his own, though he suspects it's likely it suffered the same fate.

The puppets breath hitches, that same pained cry echoing again, somehow both softer and louder in the now quiet wastes.

Saïx tries to sit up, but he can’t with Lea on top of him, staring at the small figure in confusion.

“It’s fine.” Saïx tries to console, something he has so little experience in. Tears drip from the recesses of the black hood and oh lights, he really was a failure, wasn’t he? He can see their eyes now, broken and terrified. They didn’t deserve to see this. “Xion, it’s fine”

He says their name for the first time and they jerk at the sound. They turn and run.

“Xion-!” He cries, struggling to get up, but Axel is flicking his gaze between the retreating figure and Saïx like he doesn’t know what to make of either of them and doesn’t move. The child vanishes, and Saïx slumps.

“Xion…?” Axel croaks, voice hoarse, and it’s anyone's guess whether it was from the shouting, their fight, or the sudden revelation. Saïx sighs- or at least, does the best he can with Axel still on top of him.

“Let me up.” He says quietly, and thankfully Axel obliges. Saïx doesn’t stand, opting to merely sit. He’s too tired for that sort of propriety, and he’s comfortable enough with Axel not to bother.

(Should he be? It’s clear to him now that his mistakes will cost him more than he’d fathomed. How short sighted of him.)

“What the fuck is happening, Saïx.” Axel says, voice quiet now, but still hard and bitter. Saïx tries not to flinch at the use of his old name. Even in the original organization Axel tended to use Isa’s real name when they were alone.

He deserves this, he reminds himself.

“It was originally a second iteration of the No. i project that was never fully initiated. I intended it to be a body for Xion.”

Axel’s frown deepens, but he doesn’t interrupt.

“I meant for it to remain empty until I could deliver it to you, or to someone who could get it to you safely. I.. Failed.”

“Why didn’t you ever try to find me? You had to have known I’d be looking for you.” Axel asks, seemingly not acknowledging what Saïx had said at all. His voice is so low and soft and full of _hurt_ that for a moment Saïx doesn’t know how to respond.

“I couldn’t. That was part of the agreement. I couldn’t contact any of the Guardians until the dawn of battle, and Xehanort is always watching.” His hand moves towards his eyes, only to change mid movement to brush back his mussed hair instead. He tastes copper on his lips, surmising his nose is probably bleeding, and likely has been for a while.

Axel says nothing, but his eyes dart around the landscape- even if they never land on Saïx. He’s processing, Saïx acknowledges, and he waits.

Axel stands.

“I’m going to talk to her.”

Saïx nods.

“Be gentle.” He hears himself say, as if at a distance. “They’re not all there yet.”

Axel walks away without answering.

Saïx leans against a nearby rock, pulling a potion out of his pocket and wincing as his broken nose knits itself back together. He doesn’t bother wiping away the blood.

He looks up at the moon, and despite all its wisdom, it can’t tell him what to do next either.

-

Vanitas is free.

It’s a glorious, terrifying feeling. He keeps finding himself swinging wildly between raucous, loud joy and silent, paralyzing fear. He manages to find a habited world at one point (he can’t remember where it was or what it was called, and he doesn’t really care) and picks up some clothing. He’d spent hours rifling through racks, but in the end the decision had been easy. He still finds himself drawn to darker colours, pulling a maroon outfit from the line. He takes it.

He finds a pair of heels sharp enough to kill someone if he tries, imagines Ven’s consternation at making himself even taller out of spite, and takes those too.

Two hours later he comes back and leaves some munny on the counter. He has no idea how much the outfit actually cost, but it’s mostly done to silence the voices in his head that sound suspiciously like Sora and Ventus.

He hops from place to place, and at first he revels in it. The ability to go anywhere, beholden to no one. It’s exhilarating, it’s overwhelming, it’s incredible.

It’s lonely.

So wrapped up he is in his joy he doesn’t realise it at first, the echoing, empty feeling, but as time goes on it starts to set in more fully. After so long being constantly around the others- Ven, Sora, and later Roxas and Xion- being alone now… reminds him of much worse times.

He doesn’t like that.

So he moves faster, jumping from world to world trying to recapture that initial euphoria, but it doesn’t return. He snarls at himself. A world of ice and snow. A world of endless flowers. A world of dark castles and stone gargoyles.

He steps out of another portal, onto cracked stonework and dark skies. This world is empty, _feels_ empty, and the cracked and crumbling buildings around him corroborate that.

He feels nothing, looking at it, and that in turn just makes him angry.

“Why aren’t I allowed to just be happy?” He snarls into the empty air.

His fists clench, and then go lax. He looks around the world again. Broken benches lay scattered on small patches of grass, dull and gray in the dim light. There are scattered flowers, tenacious things barely clinging to life, even the yellow of their petals washed out in the gloom. The echo of ocean waves lap at the edges of the land, somehow so different in tone from the gentle ones of Destiny Islands.

He walks slowly along the edge of the land. Across the water he can see other islands, like little same-shaped mountains of buildings in the distance. He doesn’t care enough to go to them. They all look the same from here.

He moves inland, for lack of anything better to do. There are no people here, and he wonders why he stays.

(It’s perfect _because_ there are no people, just like he deserves after running from those that ~~might have~~ actually wanted him)

His steps echo loudly in the silence, heels clicking against the crumbling cobblestone sharply. He looks up at the tall tower at the top of the hill-city. It looks vaguely familiar, and yet not at all at the same time. He brushes it off. Keeps walking.

He moves up a tier. Open, empty land makes him think these were once gardens. Farmland. No one tends these places now though, overgrown and wild. He brushes through them, and that’s when he finally hears a noise that doesn’t come from him.

It’s quiet, the brush of fabric, a breath, something digging into soft earth. Vanitas keeps walking, and as he continues around the circular tier, a figure comes into view.

“Lauriam.” He says, somewhat surprised. Lauriam looks up startled from where he’s kneeling in the soil, face and clothing patterned with streaks of dirt, hands gloved as he roots around in a wide field of flowers, many those same hardy yellow ones he’d seen before.

“Do I know you?” Lauriam asks, voice low and suspicious. Vanitas almost laughs. Of course, he wouldn’t know would he?

“Vanitas. Half of the original Ventus, or whatever. Got a body.” He signs his name as he says it out of simple habit and then holds a hand out. Lauriam shakes it, heedless of the dirt coating his palms.

“Ah.” Lauriam accepts this easily. Too easily, Vanitas thinks, but their lives were strange enough he supposes it makes as much sense as anything. “It’s nice to see you again, then. How did you find this place?”

“Accident.” Vanitas shrugs. “You?”

“I was looking for home.” Lauriam says. “For closure. Hope.”

“Did you find it?” Vanitas sits cross legged, and Lauriam returns to rooting around in the flowers.

“No. And yes. Have you been under the water here?”

Vanitas shakes his head. Lauriam gives a thin smile that has no humour in it.

“You should. It seems we are much closer, and much further from home than we thought.”

Ominous, Vanitas thinks.

“Where’s Elrena?” He asks, not that he particularly cares, but he does want to know if there’s the possibility of her showing up at some point during this talk.

“Still searching.” Lauriam answers vaguely. “There are still many things missing, and despite what the evidence is telling us… We don’t want to give up just yet.”

“And that’s what the flowers are for?” Vanitas gestures to the plants. Lauriam chuckles softly.

“No, a simple diversion to keep myself.. Centered, I suppose. My sister loved plants, and I found myself picking up the hobby after her disappearance as a way to feel close to her.”

Vanitas looks away.

“What will you do if she’s just gone?” He’s kind enough not to say ‘dead’. He remembers enough of Lauriam’s grief not to do that at least.

“I don’t know.” Lauriam answers honestly. “She deserves so much better than to have been torn from life so early in it. I don’t want to believe there’s nothing I can do. Even if so much time has passed the world is near unrecognizable now.”

The world….? Vanitas looks around again, and Lauriam’s cryptic statements make something in his mind click uncomfortably.

“This is Daybreak Town?”

Lauriam nods.

“How?” Vanitas frowns. It doesn’t make sense.

“The book.” Lauriam answers. “The memories are still vague, I don’t remember how we escaped it, but Master Ava put all the dandelions into the book, safe from the war until it had passed and we could start the worlds anew. Something went wrong. The keyblade war is now naught but myth and legend, our home destroyed, rebuilt, and destroyed again in the intervening time. We are people out of time, Ven.. Vanitas. And we may never return to it.”

“And we don’t know what happened to the others.” Vanitas continues. Skuld, Ephemera, Brain.. Where were their Chirithy’s? For every mystery that was solved, more took their place.

“No.” Lauriam says quietly. “I want to know what happened. If they still live, I want to see them again.”

Vanitas has the flash of a memory, Skuld’s concerned features hovering over him, asking if he was okay.

(I’m not okay I’m not on the li-)

“Me too.”

“Pipsqueak.” A voice calls, and Vanitas looks up to see Elrena stepping into view. If she registers Vanitas’ presence as odd she doesn’t let on about it. “I would have thought you’d be with your new friends.”

Or she knows who he is already. Maybe she’d been listening in.

“Elrena.” Lauriam’s voice is almost tired now. “I’ll not make him choose between loyalties, let alone ones neither he nor I properly remember.”

“I’m just saying at least we’re trying. You seem content to just.. Let them all go.” Elrena crosses her arms.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we were stuck in someone else's heart and didn’t even remember they existed for most of it. Back off.” Vanitas snarks. Elrena scoffs.

“Leave him alone, Elrena.” Lauriam says, returning to his gardening. “We’re all dealing in our own ways. Sometimes coping does mean leaving the past in the past.”

“Hypocrite.” She mutters, but Lauriam doesn’t seem offended. In fact he almost seems amused.

Vanitas finds himself drawn all sorts of directions by that sentiment.

“I don’t..” He pauses, trying to gather his thoughts. They’re all so disgustingly sappy it feels weird, but he cannot deny their truthfulness. “I don’t want to leave them in the past. I want to remember them. But..”

He thinks of Ven’s worry as he’d stumbled in his new body. He thinks of Sora’s relief and repressed fear, both born of love. He thinks of Roxas and Xion’s battered but somehow still surviving innocence.

“There are people in my life now.” He says it even as he realises it. “That I can’t leave behind either.”

Lauriam inclines his head with a smile.

“So.” Elrena says again, smile sharp but in a way that almost seems teasing. “Why are you _here,_ then?”

It’s a good question, Vanitas realises. And probably the one she’d been aiming for from the start.

There’s somewhere else he should be right now.

He stands, brushing the soil from his knees, and nods to Elrena and Lauriam in turn.

“Thanks. Let me know if you find anything.”

“You have our word.” Lauriam says.

“You don’t speak for me.” Elrena glares, but then shrugs a little too dismissively to be sincere. “But yeah, sure. Whatever.”

Vanitas opens a portal and steps through without another word, no goodbye’s to be said.

There’s somewhere he needs to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really wish i had pushed that vanitas scene a couple chapters back, bc its gonna be a *while* before we get to follow up on that (we're getting really close to things starting to pop off in a major way), but at this point it would be a lot of work to shift things around and i just... don't have the energy (depression fun times) ;-; so. enjoy the teaser i guess lol


	23. Between the woods and frozen lake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dawn of the ~~error:date not found~~ day (48 hours remain)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the popoff begins. it may seem slow at first but trust me, this is where the train started moving and can no longer be stopped.

Sora’s in the cockpit of the gummiship early that morning, considering where he should take Riku and Kairi next, when Data Sora pops up on his phone in a tizzy.

“You need to head to Radiant Garden right now.” The little AI says seriously, pulling up a second window next to him with a semi-familiar figure in it.

“Uh, Dilan, right?” Sora asks, and the image of the black haired man nods.

“Even is gone.” He says, not beating around the bush. Sora’s blood runs cold.

“Y-You’re sure?” Sora asks, holding the phone tightly. Dilan nods.

 _“What does that mean for us?”_ Roxas asks quietly. Sora doesn’t know.

“We’re on our way.”

-

The group tumbles into Radiant Garden without grace, and the details they get once there are scarce. Aeleus meets them by the gates, leading them inside with few words.

“There’s no sign of him anywhere.” The large man grunts. “But he left something behind.”

He opens the door to a familiar room, and they step in to find what is clearly another replica body waiting on the table in the center.

“It’s finished?” Riku asks. Aeleus nods, handing over a note filled with small, cramped handwriting. Kairi takes it, unfolding it and reading it over quickly.

“Sounds like he might have left willingly, wherever he went. Something about protection? Debts?” She summarizes. “The body he left behind is definitely ready though. That part is very clear. He doesn't think anything should go wrong, and either Dilan or Aeleus can do the final checkup.” Kairi glances over at Dilan, a touch nervous. He appears to have no reaction to the girl who had struck the final blow to his former life.

 _“But there’s only one.”_ Roxas see’s the problem immediately. Sora bites his lip. Someone had to take it, but how could they choose? How could he possibly make them choose like that? He looks over to Riku and Naminé. Riku instantly shakes his head, and it’s clear Terra’s answer hasn’t changed. Kairi’s expression goes through a few shifts as she listens to Naminé before eventually settling on resignation. She won’t take it either.

“We do need more keyblade wielders for this fight.” Kairi sighs in defeat. “She’s right about that.”

“I’m not going to bring them out just to fight for us.” Sora frowns. “I won’t force them to do that.”

 _“Oh shut up Sora, we’re going to help and you know it.”_ Roxas snarks. _“Besides, Isa’s on the other side apparently and Lea cares about him so… I guess we gotta help drag him out or something.”_

“Only if you want to.” Sora says quietly. “I mean it. I won’t force you. Nobody will.”

 _“You should take it, Roxas.”_ Xion says, and it’s instantly apparent that Roxas is not on board with the idea.

 _“What- Not before you!”_ He protests. _“All the stuff that’s been happening to you- you have to go first.”_

_“I don’t think it would help- this thing, I told you I think I saw Lea last time-”_

_“I know but-”_

_“I’ll be okay.”_

Silence. Sora stares down at the empty mannequin on the table.

 _“I don’t want to leave you behind.”_ Roxas voice wobbles dangerously.

 _“Like how I left you behind?”_ Xion’s response is soft with her self recriminatory tease. _“Think of it as… returning the favour, maybe.”_

 _“Don’t say that. It’s not the same.”_ Roxas doesn’t appreciate it though.

 _“... You’re right. It’s not. I’m sorry.”_ Xion says apologetically. _“Please Roxas. Just take it. I’ll be safe here until we can find another now that I’m not falling apart anymore.”_

There’s silence, and Sora imagines that they’re doing some kind of emphatic gesture war at each other. He’s gotten pretty good at guessing these things after a decade of living with Ven and Vanitas.

_“...Fine. But for the record I hate this.”_

_“I know.”_ Xion’s smile is apparent in her tone though. _“Sora?”_

“Okay.” Sora nods. “Ready, Roxas?”

_“Whatever. Let’s do this.”_

Time shudders to a halt once more. The blank empty space and the heart station that appears below him is starting to become normal. Roxas’ station glows in orange’s and red’s. Xion, Lea, and Riku are emblazoned on the glass around Roxas, and the boy himself looks up at Sora solemnly.

The station dissolves, the pieces floating up and away as Roxas faces Sora once more.

 _“I won’t say it’s been fun.”_ Roxas ‘says’. _“But… It wasn’t as awful as it could have been. Thanks, Sora.”_

Sora smiles. That was just the bare basics of his responsibility to them, really.

_“We’ll get Xion out too. I promise.”_

Roxas does manage to smile then, because despite his fears and his misgivings, he believes Sora. They’ll find a way.

And then he’s gone, and Sora blinks as he returns to himself, leaning against the table a little disoriented and the body below starts to take shape in a brilliant glow of golden light.

It feels almost too short, like the others, for something so significant, but only moments later Roxas is blinking bright blue eyes up at Sora. He glances around the room, cautious, and then sits up.

Sora reaches out instinctively to brace him as he moves unsteadily upright, looking around the gathered group.

He looks… sad.

“Roxas?” Kairi asks. The boy shrugs.

“I thought- nevermind. It’s dumb.”

“I bet it’s not.” Sora argues. “C’mon, tell us.”

“I guess I just thought Lea would be here when I woke up. Kinda silly, since he wasn’t here when we came in.”

Sora understands that feeling all too well.

“It’s not dumb.” He assures. “You’ll see him soon enough. There’s no way he’ll stay away long with this good news, right?”

“Right.” Roxas takes what he can from that. 

“Oh!” Sora has a realisation and reaches into his back pocket quickly, pulling out a familiar little pouch and handing it to Roxas. “This is yours.”

Roxas seems surprised as he takes it. He hadn’t even known that Sora had it, too caught up in holding Xion together during those first months in Sora’s heart. It’s a little faded now after so long in Sora’s back pocket, the threads coming loose on one end, but despite that it looks meticulously taken care of. Had Sora had this on him the whole time? Roxas tugs on the little drawstrings to peek inside. 

Five thousand munny, a slightly crumpled picture, and a little blue bauble.

His eyes well with tears, and Sora stutters, not expecting the gift to make him cry.

“Is- is it okay? I didn’t mean to- I thought it’d be alright, honest-”

“It’s perfect.” Roxas answers, rubbing at the falling droplets with the back of one hand. “Thanks, Sora.”

-

Despite the seriousness of the situation and Even’s disappearance, the group leaves the castle with relatively light hearts. Riku stays out of Roxas’ way so smoothly that Roxas almost has to hunt him down to tell him that they’re cool now, really. It’s yet another awkward conversation in a line of awkward conversations, but if there’s one thing the two can bond on, it’s that Special Something that Sora has.

Ven appears and nearly tackles Roxas as they enter Radiant Garden’s main square, taking the younger boy by surprise.

“Roxas!” He says gleefully. His hair is tied into a short ponytail now, and it bounces with his enthusiasm. “Nice to see you up and about! Ready to go shopping?”

Riku chuckles and Kairi outright laughs as the two of them step past them to greet Aqua, who lingers a few steps behind.

“Sure, but I’m not letting you buy me anything.” Roxas gives him a look, and Ven leans back, offended.

“What, you don’t trust my fashion sense?” He puts an affronted hand to his chest, of which there is a significant amount showing. Sora finds his eyes drawn to the off-white skin of a large scar in the dead center of it. Aqua laughs.

“I told you so.” She teases, and Ven turns, his indignation only growing.

“You look like a discount ninja.” Kairi joins in heckling. “Y’know, if ninja’s ever dressed in green.”

“I’ll show you ninja…” Ven grumbles, but his good cheer returns quickly. “C’mon, there’s a place that just opened down the street.”

It ends up being an all-day event, and though he doesn’t say it, Roxas has a great time picking and choosing. Xion pops out for as long as she can, throwing various articles at him to try on, clearly having just as much fun. Almost too much, as the piles begin to stack and the shop owner starts to glower at them.

“I can’t take them all.” Roxas points out, though he doesn’t exactly seem happy about it. Almost as if he isn’t sure he can take _any_ of them. “I don’t even have a place to stay.”

“Merlin’s been kind enough to give us rooms while we recover.” Aqua says, and they both do look much better. Ven moves with grace and confidence again, and the dark corruption staining Aqua’s hands and arms seems to be slowly receding. “I’m sure he’d do the same for you if you asked.”

“Wouldn’t he run out of space eventually?” Kairi worries, and Aqua shakes her head.

“Magic.” Is her simple answer, and in fairness it does suffice. Merlin is a man of many powers and many mysteries.

“And don’t worry about paying for it.” Sora adds. “It’s on me, like I promised.”

Roxas grins, equal parts happiness and relief.

“Thanks.”

-

Coming back to the world of the living is a flurry of movement for Roxas for a while- people and greetings and shopping and getting settled… It was a lot to take in at once, so when the furor finally dies down and he finds himself finally alone in his new room above Merlin’s, he steals out and goes for a walk. It’s well into the night now, nearly everyone around safe in their beds, but Roxas needs to get out.

He needs to decompress, and there’s a lot on his mind he realises as he treads down the cobblestone street. Not the least of which is Xion and Lea.

He _really_ wishes Lea had a phone right now. He always just tended to show up at random points, but with no reliable way to contact him, Roxas is left in the wind with his good news.

He shoves his hands in his pockets, suddenly morose.

He misses Xion. It hasn’t even been a day, but with no way of getting another body any time soon, it already feels like that awful time when they’d been waiting for her to wake up from her coma, no real idea when- or even if- it might end.

“Now what’s a sad face like that doing there? I’d’ve thought you’d be more happy to be walking around under your own power again.”

Roxas head jerks up at the familiar voice, easily narrowing in on the black cloaked figure leaning against the wall of a building nearby.

“Ax- Lea!” He cries in joy, rushing forward, stumbling to a halt in front of the much taller man. He tilts his head in confusion as he takes in his appearance. “What’s with the hood?”

They really only ever used them for travelling through the corridors, so Roxas was confused why Lea was suddenly wearing his now.

Lea shrugs, and he opens his arms for a hug that Roxas returns with enthusiasm.

“I’ll explain later. In the meantime… Wanna get some ice cream and celebrate?”

Roxas grins widely, successfully distracted.

“Yeah!”

-

They portal to Twilight Town, still in the late stages of it’s long sunset, and Lea grabs some bars before they go up to the clocktower and take their usual places.

Roxas unwraps his, and his enthusiasm dips.

“I wish Xion could be here with us.”

“Me too.” Lea sighs. “I’m sure you’ll be able to do this with her soon though.”

There’s a third, still wrapped bar sitting in the space between them. A silent promise. The sun is a bare sliver of light on the horizon.

“Soon.” Roxas nods. “Hopefully before Xehanort decides to have his whole… Thing.”

“About that.” Lea sighs. “Probably not.” The sun vanishes, and everything seems to go a little bit gray in the dimming light.

“What, why?” Roxas looks up, confused. Lea takes off his hood, and Roxas stumbles to his feet in shock.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Axel says, and his now gold eyes look so resigned- defeated- that Roxas can hardly stand it.

“You _joined_ them?” Roxas can’t decide between anger and betrayal, and his words end up being a broken mix of both. Axel winces.

“I needed to find Isa.”

“So you left _us_ behind instead?!” Roxas’ voice rises into a shout. He’s dimly aware that he’s started crying, but the roar in his ears is all-encompassing.

“No, Rox- I didn’t, let me explain-”

“You joined them!” Roxas can’t wrap his mind around it. “After everything you said- everything we promised- and you just left us-!” 

“I’m not leaving you behind!” Axel says, nearly shouting himself to be heard over Roxas’ angry fragments. Roxas’ glare doesn’t lessen, and he doesn’t sit down, but his mouth closes with a sharp click. “I’m… That’s not what intended, anyway. I made a deal; my service for finding Isa.”

“It sure looks like leaving us behind from here.” Roxas’ voice is level and dangerous despite the tears still running down his face. Axel sighs.

“I know. I’m sorry. I got desperate.”

“You could die.”

“Could’ve died on your side too.” Axel shrugs, but his attempt at levity is weak at best. “Besides, side effect of Xehanort’s whole shtick, I’m a nobody again. Might come back after anyway.”

“That’s not a guarantee and you know it.” Roxas’ fists are clenched and shaking, the remnants of ice cream on his stick wobbling dangerously as they melt.

“I know.”

“You’ve done some shitty things, Axel.” Roxas says, unconsciously reverting to the old name. “But this is really turning out to be one of the worst.”

“...I know.”

Roxas can’t stand it. He turns away, hopping off the edge and onto the walkway.

“I have to go.” He makes no excuse, there’s no point. They both know he just can’t deal with this right now.

“That’s okay.” Axel murmurs. “Sunset sure is long here, huh? Already past midnight. I guess that means I’ll see you tomorrow, Roxas.”

That makes Roxas turn back, eyes wide.

“What?”

Axel stands, dusting off his coat. For how late the twilight layers over this world, it’s grown dark quickly, his black coat starting to fade into the background navy sky.

“Xehanort says tomorrow. For his big fated battle. It’s the only reason I was allowed to see you, to deliver the message.”

“But-” Roxas stutters. “Without you we’re one short!”

“I know.” Axel sighs again. “But Xehanort seems to think Vanitas counts whether or not he’s actually around, so.”

“That’s stupid!” Roxas protests, and Axel laughs darkly.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” He catches Roxas’ gaze. “None of you are allowed to die. Got that?”

“Yeah, I got it memorised.” Roxas says, but there’s no levity here as he parrots his mentor's words. “What about you?”

Axel huffs a laugh that is entirely without humour.

“Sorry, Roxas. No promises.”

And then he’s gone, vanished through a dark portal, and Roxas is left on the Clocktower alone.

-

They gather in the Mysterious Tower, all of them equal parts tense and worried. Yen Sid regards them all with his usual intense stare.

“It seems we are at a crossroads.” He intones. “Six wielders stand before me, strong and proud, yet that is not enough. We are called to battle.”

“Why do they have to be wielders? I’m a princess of light, shouldn’t that count all on it’s own?” Kairi asks. Yen Sid hums thoughtfully.

“Mayhaps, but it is uncertain. The prophecy does indeed say that the Guardians of Light were all wielders of the key.”

“‘S stupid.” Kairi mutters to herself as she leans back. Sora gives her a sympathetic look, knowing she’s as frustrated with her lack of ability to help as much as anything else.

“So what do we do then?” Riku asks, hand on his hip. “You’d think Xehanort would wait, considering his whole plan hinges on the whole seven and thirteen thing.”

“For a mastermind such as himself, Xehanort pays little attention to the smaller details.” Yen Sid sighs. “He has always been this way. He sees that there are seven, and does not mind the fact that one has chosen not to take part.”

“Dammit, Vanitas.” Haru mumbles, and Sora scowls.

“Hey, I miss him too, but I’m the last person who’s going to force anyone to fight. We’re all here by choice or we’re not here at all.”

Haru looks away.

“I know. I just wish he’d stayed.”

“Me too.” Sora knows the feeling well.

“Could we not pass a keyblade to one of them?” Aqua asks, gesturing to the parts of the group that don’t have one. Yen Sid considers it.

“Possible, but a keyblade can be a pernicious thing, much like the heart. It cannot be passed to just anyone, and often must be earned from within as well.”

Sora glances up at Riku, who’s eyes grow hooded with the weight of memories.

“As well,” Yen Sid continues. “Any keyblade you pass creates a connection between you and your protege and it is not yet known how your current state affects your own Mastery. It is not something to be done lightly. You know all this, Master Aqua.”

“I do.” She nods. “Do we have any other choice?”

Yen Sid closes his eyes, and that’s really all that needs to be said. Aqua turns to the group.

“First things first.. I want volunteers only. I’m not forcing this burden on you, and I will not judge you for not wanting to take it.” She says.

“Not to mention it probably won’t work anyway if you don’t y’know, actually want it.” Ven adds from beside her. She nods.

Donald and Goofy share a look, and then simultaneously take a step back.

“Not me.” Donald shakes his head. “Too much work.”

“Gawrsh, I think I’m just not quite suited, if’n that’s all right.” Goofy says.

“That’s perfectly fine.” Aqua smiles, and then turns back to the remaining two, Haru and Kairi.

“And you?” She asks.

“I want to try.” Kairi says. “I’ve been on this journey from the beginning, doing things my own way, but if this will help I want to do it.”

“Me too.” Haru nods. “I want to help my friends, protect them when they can’t protect themselves.”

“Very well.” Aqua takes a deep breath, summoning Master Defender, flipping it back and holding it’s handle out for them to touch.

“In your hand take this key…”

-

Sora and Riku find Kairi on the front steps, and they settle in on either side of her silently.

“So…” Sora starts, wincing as Kairi buries her face into her knees.

“Why am I so useless?”

Both boys are taken aback, glancing at each other over her bowed shoulders.

“You’re not useless.” Sora goes first. “We all knew there was a chance it wouldn’t work. You calling Haru useless too?”

“...No.” Kairi sniffs. “But I had a real chance to make a difference and now we’re all screwed because our hearts decided to be stubborn. Again.”

“It’s not like that.” Riku sighs. “You’ve been amazing, Kairi, you’ve done amazing things. Don’t let this one thing get you down. Besides, it didn’t work for Haru either.”

“Yeah.” Sora nods. “Having a keyblade isn’t everything. You beat up DiZ, you’re helping Naminé, you turned a whole pack of hyena’s against their tyrant king, you helped save Aqua.. You’ve been awesome!”

Kairi lifts her head just enough to give him a weak smile, but it’s still watery.

“Besides, maybe it just needs a little time.” Riku tries. “Terra passed me mine when I was only five, and it didn’t manifest until I was fifteen… and then Sora stole it.”

“You got another one.” Sora pouts. “Eventually.”

“Huh.” Kairi blinks as realisation settles over her. “Does that mean you technically passed yours to Sora?”

“Uhhh..” Sora thinks. “I don’t know. I guess?”

“I’m not so sure.” Riku looks doubtful. “Because I didn’t pass anything new to him. Kingdom Key _was_ mine until it went to Sora. I made something totally new with Way to Dawn.”

“Mysterious.” Kairi murmurs. “Maybe we can ask Aqua about it later.”

None of them talk about the fact that, with the final battle looming over them in only a day's time, there may not be a later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its roxas' turn to face his nightmare of being left behind, and kairi's old fears of being not being Enough resurface for a bit. luckily they both have some solid support networks to help them through it.
> 
> haru is just frustrated, but that's never stopped him before lol


	24. The darkest evening of the year.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone takes a moment to prepare before the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im never quite sure if my foreshadowing is too subtle or not subtle enough tbh. either way this chapter should make it a little clearer whats going on here in certain respects.

Axel comes out of his portal with much less grace and composure than he’d gone into it. The numb state of nobody-hood had passed _staggeringly_ quickly this time and he doesn’t care to process why. He summons his keyblade and tosses it as far across the dark and empty badlands as he can manage, which is pretty far considering how much practice he’s had at throwing things over the years.

A hand touches his arm, and he flinches back, belatedly looking down to see the hooded replica. He can’t see her face, but somehow he can tell she’s looking up at him in worry, hand still raised.

“I fucked up, Xion.”

She doesn’t seem to know how to respond. He sighs, tension bleeding out of him even as his self recrimination rises. His keyblade pops back into his hand, though he hadn’t willed it to, and he throws it again.

She doesn’t speak- she rarely does- but she takes his hand and just.. Holds it. He isn’t sure what she’s trying to tell him, but something passes between them anyway. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Saïx approach.

“... Didn’t go well?” Saïx asks, more hesitant than even his closest friend is used to hearing from him. Axel pulls back with a wince. His keyblade reappears in his hand from wherever he’d thrown it, and he dismisses it with a sharp gesture.

“I did the same thing you did. I’m a stars forsaken _hypocrite.”_

Saïx sighs, stepping closer, reaching up to rub his thumbs across Axel’s cheeks, and it’s only then that Axel realizes he’s been crying.

“It’s an easy mistake to make, when you’re trying to help the ones we love.” Saïx says softly. Axel tries desperately to keep his lip from wobbling like a child.

“You’d think we’d know better.” Axel says, tone full of self-loathing.

“Should we return, we’ll endeavor to do so.”

“If we return.” Axel sighs. Saïx has no response to that, just tilts Axel’s head down just slightly so he can rest Axel’s forehead against his.

“I don’t know how this battle will go, or what will happen after.” Saïx says softly. He can feel Axel’s hitching breath against his lips. “But whatever comes.. We’ll do better, and we’ll protect them.”

“They’re never going to forgive me.” Axel responds quietly. “And they’d be right not to.”

There’s a hand on his arm again, and he breaks away from Saïx to see the hooded Xion once more. She shakes her head.

“Angry.” She says slowly, haltingly. “Sad. Still… Our friend.”

Axel wants to stop crying. He doesn’t deserve them. He doesn’t deserve any of them.

-

Young Master Xehanort regards the two boys playing in the crevasse below with what from the outside might look like a cool disinterest.

In reality his thoughts are somewhat more tumultuous than that.

Eraqus and his friend dodge between pillars of rock with delighted laughter and teasing, and Xehanort cannot help but feel the distance between himself and them.

How long ago had it been, since he had been that boy? Light and carefree, nothing but as yet unused potential and a dream. That boy has no idea what’s coming for him despite this limited look into the future. His gaze shifts over to Eraqus, equally wild and even more carefree. Xehanort knows what will happen to him- one day Eraqus will be murdered by someone he had once held dear. One day, Xehanort will kill his best friend.

The knowledge doesn’t distress him as much as it should. He’s seen too much. Maybe he will finally feel something when he actually does it.

… He misses Eraqus.

It’s a strange thing to think, after casually contemplating his future murder by Xehanort’s own hands, but there it is. He hasn’t gone to meet the young boys, merely watched from afar. It all feels so distant from him now.

His best friend, once. Still? For Eraqus _-his_ Eraqus, still home asleep in his bed likely- nothing had changed. Well, some things had changed. Many things had changed. He remembers the faces of his classmates only vaguely now, knows that their loss had grieved him deeply once. But for Xehanort that factor of distance was multiplied exponentially. His mind will not remember all this, he knows _(hopes, against everything telling him otherwise)_ , once he is returned to his proper time, but the heart does not forget, and his heart is weary. It’s _bored_. He’s seen this all before and chances are he will again.

The loop is tiresome, but he’s been in it so long he’s not sure what life is like outside it any more. He wonders how far the heroes of Light will get this time. The teams are quite different in this instance, Vanitas especially an inclusion on the side of Light he has seen only perhaps one other time, stirring his curiosity for but the briefest of moments. He bets pointlessly against himself that they will go no further than the Demon Tide. Again.

He knows the loop must break at some point, or he would never be able to grow into the elder Master Xehanort, but that tells him nothing beyond it’s inevitability. Not how, or when. It’s like death in that way. Perhaps even literally, though in all these loops he has yet to suffer such a fate. He’s too proud even in this state of numbness and disillusionment, grasping for whatever might spark some emotion, to let that happen to him just yet.

So he watches two children laugh, and waits for the inevitable.

-

Even returns to Zexion as the sun rises, and the young man looks up, question unspoken but heard.

“She appears to be functioning as a replica should. You did well adjusting her parameters considering she was already functioning when he finally brought her to you.”

Zexion gives a small, proud smile.

“I learned from the best.”

“Bah.” Even scoffs, waving a hand dismissively. “You diminish yourself. You have ever been an exemplary pupil. Any teacher would be joyous to have you.”

They settle into a comfortable silence, and Even bustles about preparing a small breakfast- mostly for himself. Zexion, in his newly re-nobodied state, has little appetite yet.

The sun climbs, the pinks and oranges of dawn settling into the pale blue of mid-morning.

“Are you sure you wish to go through with this?” Even asks at length. Zexion glances at him through his bangs.

“It’s a little late for that.”

“There’s always something to be tried, is that not the spirit of science?” Even returns, and Zexion acknowledges the point.

“It is. This is the way that was chosen, however. I must see it through.”

Even sighs, irritable.

“This was not a fair trade.” He says. “All my sins.. I’m old, Ienzo. You should have just let them take me rather than offer yourself up in my stead.”

“I do not see it that way.” Zexion returns, turning his face away and hunching just slightly. Even squints at the movement, but he doesn’t interrogate it.

“... Regardless, it is done.” Even moves briskly past the uncomfortable subject. “And I will make every effort to ensure things go to plan, but I cannot guarantee it. You understand this, yes?”

“I do.” Zexion nods. “It’s simply a risk we must take. Is that also not part of the pursuit of science?”

“Absolutely not.” Even huffs in mock offence. “Safety measure exist for a reason you impertinent little-”

Zexion just laughs, and it’s a nice sound against the doom hanging over their heads.

-

Destiny Islands, for all it’s bright light and warm sun, provides a significant amount of thick foliage and dark, shaded places to hide in.

Ansem rests his back against a tree, looking out between the small gaps between wide leaves. Xemnas stands beside him, ramrod straight as they wait. In the distance a group of teenagers wander down the path, talking loudly and laughing as they go. On their way to wherever children go after they’ve had their morning ablutions and have no other obligations for the day.

It’s a curious sort of disconnect, neither man having had such a childhood. Not even memories of it to bring nostalgia, and yet they watch on, curious and longing for a past they never got to have in equal and unacknowledged parts.

A third figure appears next to them, and Xemnas tears his gaze away from the distant group to look down at Data Riku.

“Did you succeed?” He asks solemnly. Data Riku nods, but he doesn’t look happy.

“Yeah. We talked. He’s not… exactly happy with me, but I got him to understand, at least.” He says. Xemnas glances up at Ansem, unsure how to handle the boy’s despondence. Ansem just shrugs.

“That is.. Something.” Xemnas answers slowly, feeling quite out of his depth. At least Terra was more or less an adult when they had spoken together in Riku’s heart. For all that Data Riku was unexpectedly mature, in some aspects he was very much still a child, and both men had really only ever dealt with children in the abstract. Or as adversaries.

Data Riku shrugs.

“Yeah.” He looks up at them. “Thanks for coming with me.”

Ansem nods, but says nothing. A simple gesture asking if they’re leaving now, or do they have other business?

“Could I ask another favour?” Data Riku asks unexpectedly.

“You may.” Ansem turns towards the boy, who looks somewhat uncomfortable.

“I know we don’t really know each other that well- maybe this is stupid, but if you don’t mind, could I stay with you today?”

“Why?” Ansem tilts his head, not denying the request but certainly curious.

“We’re probably going to die tomorrow.” Data Riku says frankly. “Even if I do have backups… This version of me is still going to disappear. I guess I just don’t want to be alone, right now.”

Xemnas casts his gaze through the foliage one last time, and then nods. 

“I understand.” Xemnas answers, and he really does, to his own surprise. “You may stay with us if you wish.”

Ansem gives him one of those infuriatingly knowing smirks as he opens a portal, and a moment later all three step through, vanishing into the dark.

In the distance, where Sora and his friends are catching up, Riku feels the tug of darkness on his senses. He looks towards the dense trees and bushes, brow furrowed.

But then it’s gone, and Sora distracts him with an elbow to the ribs and some joke he hadn’t caught, and the incident flees his mind entirely.

-

The beach sand is soft under Aqua’s toes in the warm noon light, clawed and chitinous as they are, and it feels surreal. Terra floats at her side, and down the beach Riku waits, ankle deep in the water and looking across the open waves with a look that can only be described as wistful. She tries not to stray too far, partly for Terra’s sake, and partly because Riku is minding the cooler holding lunch for them all.

Ven bounds up, still full of youthful energy and enthusiasm despite it all and both her and Terra find themselves laughing, equal parts at him and just in simple joy at seeing him.

She reaches out to ruffle his hair, and it still feels odd to be reaching up rather than down, but the melancholy of it doesn’t overtake the happiness at being able to do it at all.

“Aw, Aqua!” Ven pouts the same as he always has though, and does it again when Terra does the same, massive hand nearly encompassing Ven’s head entirely.

“So, tomorrow.” Aqua says, broaching the subject none of them want to. Ven and Terra both look away.

“What do we do?” Ven asks. “We’re still one short.”

“Maybe I still count?” Terra says, keyblade flashing to life in his hands before vanishing again.

“I don’t know.” Aqua admits. “None of this is as straightforward as it should be.”

“If that was the case wouldn’t Xion count too?” Ven ponders. “Then we’d have too many.”

“Maybe too many is okay.” Terra tries to be hopeful. “Maybe the prophecy means at _least_ seven, and not _just_ seven.”

“We have to hope so.” Aqua admits. “Because we’re out of options.”

“Too bad about Haru and Kairi though.” Ven says. “They were pretty bummed about the passing not working.”

“Passing on a keyblade isn’t something done lightly.” Aqua says, and Terra nods. “There’s a reason it was a last resort. Even past all that.. It’s a massive responsibility.”

“That’s true I guess.” Ven sighs. “Even back when there were a lot of us, we still knew it was a big thing.”

“Huh?” Terra tilts his head, and Aqua has to admit she’s just as confused. Ven blinks, and then realisation steals across his features and he laughs, embarrassed.

“Oh. I guess I didn’t tell you guys. Me and Van, we were working on getting our memories back, from before.”

“Wait, really?” Terra’s glowing eyes flicker in surprise. “That’s awesome Ven!”

“That still doesn’t make sense though, there haven't been many wielders for a very long time.” Aqua frowns, gracefully ignoring the part about Vanitas.

“Nope.” Ven says. “We still don’t have all the pieces, and Van has most of the memories so I’m actually kinda like… getting my own memories second hand, which is kinda funny if you think about it, but anyway! I guess we were part of these unions? Foretellers and stuff, I dunno. Honestly Van is better at explaining it. Most of what bits I remember is just like.. impressions and stuff. Not really useful.”

Aqua frowns harder, but for once it’s not due to the mention of Vanitas.

“Unions? I remember reading about such a thing, but they haven’t seen true use in generations.”

“Weird, right?” Ven says, though he seems fairly unbothered by the mystery.

“It’s definitely something I think we should look into later.” Terra agrees. “I bet the Land of Departure has some kind of research about it in those big old libraries.”

“Good idea!” Ven brightens. “Even if it’s not the same thing I bet they’re related somehow!”

“Right.” Aqua nods. “In the meantime-”

She tugs the two down towards the water, splashing into it with an ease she hasn’t felt in years. She grins wickedly at them.

“Loser has to make dinner!”

-

It’s lunch, and Naminé’s quiet form sits quietly next to Haru as he munches quietly on the sandwiches that had been thrust happily upon him by Sora’s mom’s.

“This sucks.” He mumbles between bites. Naminé tilts her head but doesn’t respond. “I hate not being able to help.”

-You still help.- Naminé signs, and Haru shakes his head.

“I know that. I mean help with like… This. The keyblade thing.” He gestures with the sandwich. “I hate that because for whatever reason, the others might face some horrible thing just because we didn’t have enough. Because my heart decided it didn’t want to help even though I _do.”_

-It’s not your fault.- Naminé signs. -Are you blaming Kairi too?-

Haru sighs. He’s not entirely sure where Kairi went. He knows she must be nearby, but he’s not sure where.

“No. Kind of.” He sighs. “I know it’s not fair. It just sucks.”

-I know-

He drops the last bites of bread onto the little platter on the bench, appetite lost.

-Haru?- She signs his name. Shield-guardian.

“Yeah?” He asks when she doesn’t continue, hands stilled in uncertainty.

-You’re still going tomorrow?- She asks. He nods.

“Yeah. Keyblade or no, I still want to be there. Besides, I _know_ Kairi’s going, and I’m definitely not letting you go into that without me.”

-You made me promise to live, to hope that life will continue despite everything telling me different- She starts, and he sees the subtle shake in her fingers. -So for tomorrow I... want you to promise me the same.-

He reaches up, and he wonders when he got so enamoured with hugs, but she reaches back readily and he holds her as tightly as he can.

“I promise, Nami. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure we both get through this alive.”

-

After Terra has to retreat to Riku’s heart and Riku himself offers his farewells- off to see the others likely, Ven and Aqua wander down the beach in the other direction from where they’d gone before. They’ve been doing a lot of talking since their return, but after so long apart even their silences feel full.

The sun is high in the sky, nearing mid-afternoon now, and as they round the long bend to a more rarely trafficked part of the islands they see a somewhat familiar figure by some rocky outcroppings. A rock flies through the air and lands with a splash in the ocean. It’s Roxas, and he’s already bending down to pick up another rock before the first had even landed.

Roxas winds up and throws it with a short yell. He’s panting a little, and Ven wonders how long he’s been at this. He gestures Aqua to wait, and she steps back with a nod.

He approaches cautiously. He knows this kind of hurt, at least a little bit.

“Hey, Roxas.” He greets as he comes close. “How’re you holding up?”

“Just-” Roxas hefts another rock. “Peachy.” He throws it as hard as he can, and it skips twice despite the waves before sinking with a splash.

“You look like it.” Ven comments dryly. Roxas throws him a glare but returns to throwing rocks without following up on it. “Wanna talk?”

“About what?” Roxas grunts. “The fact that my best friend is still trapped in someone else's body? That my other best friend decided to abandon us for his boyfriend? That we all might die tomorrow and never actually get to go to the beach together?” He looks down at the latest fist-sized rock in anger.

Ven opens his mouth, but Roxas keeps going.

“I shouldn’t even be here!” He shouts, winding up his next throw. “Not in this body, not on this beach- I wasn’t supposed to still be _alone!_ ”

The rock makes an impressive splash as it hits water. Ven sighs. He moves closer, bending to pick up a small pebble of his own, tossing it from hand to hand.

“You talk to Xion about it?”

“Yeah.” Roxas grunts. “I remember in the nightmare- it’s the same. He left us after promising he wouldn’t. She said it was okay if I didn’t forgive him, even if she does.”

“Will you?” Ven asks. Roxas scowls harder.

“I don’t know. I-... I don’t want to give up our friendship. I want to fight for it. But it hurts. It really hurts.”

“I know it isn’t exactly what you wanted.” Ven starts, watching Roxas glare at the ocean like it had personally insulted him out of the corner of his eye. “And trust me, I’m pissed at Lea too. But you’re not alone. Me, Sora, Xion.. it’ll be okay. We’ll make it through this and you and Xion can both tear him a new one.”

Roxas smirks at the thought, though it doesn’t last.

“Yeah. We’re never gonna let him live it down. If he even wants to be around, anyway.” He shrugs, and Ven’s eyes narrow at the uncharacteristic self doubt.

“Hey, if he cares about you then of course he does, and if he doesn’t… then there are other people out there. People who won’t leave you behind. Promise.”

Roxas finally looks over at Ven, tearing his gaze away from the low waves.

“You can’t promise that.”

“Sure I can.” Ven grins. “Cause I’ll be first in line.”

That seems to strike Roxas somewhere soft, looking up at Ven with something akin to hope in his features.

“... Thanks, Ven.” Roxas smiles for real this time, and Ven returns it.

“No problem. We’ll both give Lea hell about all this later, yeah?”

“And Vanitas.” Roxas returns, and Ven jerks back a little. Kid was more intuitive than he let on. He lets out a single, soft laugh.

“Yeah. And Vanitas, whenever he shows his face again.”

“You miss him?” Roxas asks. Ven nods.

“Yeah. I don’t blame him though. After everything… he deserves whatever peace and happiness he can grab.”

Roxas hums, a carefully neutral sound. Ven notices, but he doesn’t really know what to say.

“Sure.”

Ven hums, thinking through how to word his thoughts.

“Sometimes people have good reasons for the things they do. Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they only think they do. Sometimes what’s good reasons to one person aren’t to another.” Ven says. He’s had this conversation with Roxas before, but after everything that’s happened… maybe it bears repeating. “I don’t know about Lea, but Vanitas.. I understand why he left. Even if I never see him again, I get that this was something he needed.”

“I guess.” Roxas returns to looking over the water.

“Wanna get dinner with us?” Ven asks, deciding it was time for a distraction. Roxas seems to appreciate it though, a smile breaking through the lines of stress in his features.

“Sure.”

-

“Mom? Momma?” Sora pushes in the front door. It’s a bit late for dinner, but he can smell the aroma of something still cooking inside, so they must be eating late. There’s a clatter as someone rushes to turn off burners and a moment later Lia scoops him up in a tight hug. The thump-thump-thump of feet on stairs is the only warning they get as Kaze joins them seconds later.

“Welcome home.” Lia kisses the top of his head sweetly, and he feels a heavy lump form in his throat. “We missed you.”

“I was texting you guys all the time.” Sora tries to deflect. Kaze scoffs.

“Which we appreciated, but it’s just not the same as being able to hug you, love.” She leans down to press a long kiss to his cheek. “Now come in, Lia was just finishing up dinner.”

“Shrimp soup.” Lia says, and Sora perks up.

“Awesome!” He cheers, and the three move inside. Sora grabs the bowls and utensils out of habit, setting them out as Lia sets the food out to be served.

It’s warm and filling, and feels a little bit like home. For just a moment, Sora forgets how empty and lonely he feels.

 _“That looks so good.”_ Xion says wistfully. _“I know I’ve said it before, but food in the Organization was always so… simple. I can’t wait to try stuff like this.”_

“Xion says it looks really good.” Sora passes on the compliment, and Lia grins happily.

“It’s just her left with you, right?” Kaze remembers. “You should have brought the rest of them, we’d have been happy to feed them all.”

“You’re not the one who cooks.” Lia pokes at her, but then she smiles. “But she’s right. It’s not been the usual way of doing it, but they’re family too in their own way.”

Sora takes a big spoonful of soup to avoid responding right away. Inside, Xion winces.

He swallows, time is up.

“They’re busy.” He answers evasively. “We only had a little bit of time before everything tomorrow, so they wanted to get other stuff out of the way first.”

“That’s fair, I suppose.” Kaze sighs. “Still. I expect all of them here at some point.”

“Me too.” Lia nods. “Those boys have been through too much not to get a good home cooked meal once in a while.”

 _“Roxas will be here and I’ll make sure of it personally.”_ Xion pipes up cheerily.

“I’m sure Ven will come.” Sora allows. “And Xion says she’ll drag Roxas by his ear if she has to, she’s not gonna miss out on this.”

“Good.” Lia nods. “And Vanitas?”

Sora takes another spoonful. This time he doesn’t bother trying to hide that he’s not going to answer. Lia and Kaze exchange a look.

“Oh honey.” Kaze leans across the table to put a hand on Sora’s cheek. He sniffs and then swallows his mouthful.

“It’s- it’s okay. He’s always been trapped in some way. He deserves freedom.”

“But it still hurts, doesn’t it?” Lia says softly. Sora nods, shoving another spoonful of soup into his mouth. He’s almost out.

“It’ll be okay, love.” Lia says.

Surrounded by his mother's comfort, he almost believes it.

-

The sun is setting by the time Sora finds Riku and Kairi again. They’re both on the little islet on the play island, on the crooked tree they always used to hang out on together. That feels fitting, he thinks.

They turn to watch him approach, broad smiles on each that he instinctively mirrors. He hops up into his usual place between them, the smooth bark still familiar even after so long.

“So.” Kairi says, tone deliberately light.

“So.” Riku echoes her. “This is it.”

“It’s hard to believe.” Sora says, tucking one leg under himself while the other swings idly. “Feels like we’ve been on this path forever, and tomorrow.. It’ll all be done.” He hopes.

“And we’ll be into the start of something new.” Riku looks rested and peaceful in a way that kind of surprises Sora, considering. Maybe Riku’s just gotten used to the chaos that their lives have become- Sora is a little jealous if that’s the case. He’s not sure if he can even imagine what something new might be after all this time. Riku smiles up at Sora and Kairi, seated further up the tree.

“Oh, right!” Kairi startles like she’s just remembered something, standing up and making the trunk shudder slightly. Sora watches curiously as she scrambles up the side, reaching up to grab one of the barely ripe paopu fruits that hang at the top.

“Really?” Riku asks with a laugh as he sees what she’s doing. She just grins as she slides back down the trunk.

“Of course.” She answers. “Look, I know it’s just an old legend all the kids tell each other, but..”

“Nah, I get it.” Riku says, reaching out one hand. She blinks at him, kind of surprised. “What, did you think I’d let you leave me behind like that?”

“No, no.” She shakes her head emphatically as she breaks the fruit into sticky pieces. “I’m just surprised you’re into the idea at all. You always seemed so… contemptuous of it all when we were little.”

“... There’s a lot of reasons for that, and I don’t think we need a fruit to keep us together, no.” He admits as she hands him his piece. “But it can still be something meaningful, just for us.”

Kairi holds out the second piece to Sora, who for a moment just stares at it, almost unsure.

“Sora?” She tilts her head, and finally he reaches out to take it, offering her a comforting smile as he shakes away his hesitation. Kairi raises her piece to the setting sun, juices running down her hand and wrist though she doesn’t seem bothered, grinning widely.

“Tomorrow we win.” She says confidently. “No more hiding from change. Tomorrow is the mark of a whole new start.”

“For all of us.” Riku nods, raising his own piece with his own smile. “Wherever it takes us. Together.”

Sora raises his own bit of fruit. He doesn’t know what to say.

“This…” He begins haltingly. “This is where it all began, the three of us on this tree looking for an adventure. So I’m glad this is where it ends, with us on this tree. I’m so glad you’ve been with me through this.”

“Me too.” Kairi says, and Riku nods in agreement. “It hasn’t always been easy, but I’m glad of all the places I could have landed after the Garden fell, it was here.”

“Same.” Riku holds his bit of fruit out to them, and they take his meaning easily, knocking the bits together as if they were champagne glasses that they were toasting. Kairi pops nearly the whole thing in her mouth in her enthusiasm, making Sora laugh as her cheeks puff out like a chipmunk.

“Careful, you big pig, you’ll choke.” Riku teases as he takes much more reasonable bites of his own.

“I’ll fhow you ‘ig!” Kairi takes offense, mouth still full, reaching around Sora to shove at Riku’s shoulders. He laughs, utterly unmoved as Kairi clambers over Sora to reach him.

Sora laughs with them, and without either of them noticing he slides his bit of paopu into his pocket without a bite taken from it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sora.... sora no.........
> 
> canon xehanort: evil bc... unclear. possibly norted himself.
> 
> my xehanort: evil bc he's been thoroughly broken via groundhog day shenanigans


	25. He gives his harness bells a shake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final battle begins, and ends, once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have i mentioned lately that persistant time travel has got to be terrible for ones mental health? even if (or perhaps especially when) it is not consciously remembered

The badlands are… eerie.

The sheer lack of any kind of landmark or life makes the place almost oppressive, and that’s even before the group starts walking past the empty, lifeless shells of ancient keyblades scattered across the ground.

Ven especially finds his gaze lingering on them as they walk, goosebumps forming along his arms and raising the hair at his neck.

They pass through a tunnel that had formed in a cliff face and come out into an open expanse.

In the distance stands Xehanort.

“Where are the rest?” Aqua murmurs, suspicious.

Xehanort’s chuckle resounds across the empty plain, and a moment later a second figure appears at his side.

Aqua and Ven step back, Aqua letting out a sharp hiss as she does.

“Terra?” Ven exclaims loudly, glancing to Riku, whose eyes are narrowed.

“No.” He says. “He’s with me.”

The imposter laughs.

“Am I not?” He grins in a way terribly unsuited to Terra’s face. Xehanort backs into a portal, and suddenly the imposter Terra flashes forward, blade bared.

Ven blocks the first hit but is forced to dodge the second, and grunts loudly as he’s thrown aside by the third. Aqua jumps in, trading blows with him as Ven struggles back to his feet. Donald and Mickey throw spells at the imposter as an opening arrives, but the spells are eaten by a shield of chains and gone as if they’d never existed.

He hops back and out of Aqua’s reach, switching targets to Sora and Kairi as they try to rush him. A low sweep of his whip-like keyblade takes them by surprise and knocks them both over, but before he has time to gloat Riku and Terra are jumping over their bodies and leaping at the imposter with a battle cry.

They force him back several steps before he regains his footing, flinging Riku to one side and grabbing Terra by the face.

“You? How… Interesting.” The man grins menacingly. Ven and Roxas take advantage of the distraction and leap at him, forcing him to release Terra in order to defend himself. He throws out blasts of Darkness but they fizzle in the face of Roxas and Ven’s combined light, and the imposter has to retreat to reevaluate.

He steps back once more, keyblade shifting in hand to form an enormous cannon that he aims at the two, halting them in their advance, forcing them to dodge as the massive cannon obliterates everything in its wake.

It’s cut off as Haru slams bodily into him from the side however, making it change back to its usual blade form before he can shift to aim it at anyone else. The imposter snarls, blade snapping up and across Haru’s face sharply.

“Haru!” Sora cries as he sees the boy go down, blood seeping into the dirt below. He hears Kairi screaming behind him.

Riku leaps at their enemy with a roar, Braveheart swinging down with his full weight behind it, but the imposter dodges away once more, seemingly unconcerned. The skies grow dark around them, and the imposter just grins as he steps back into the shadows.

“What’s going on?” Aqua asks as an all too familiar dark miasma starts to well around them. Glowing yellow eyes start to appear in all too numerous quantities.

“Heartless.” Roxas says, the only one of them left with a voice.

Kairi rushes on ahead, kneeling over Haru as Naminé hovers over them both, unheeding the rising darkness as it cuts them off from the others.

“Kairi!” Riku shouts in warning, but she’s too busy casting the strongest curaga she can manage to pay it any mind, green leaves and flowers showering around them.

Haru doesn’t move.

“Kairi!” Sora tries to move towards them, cutting down the heartless already trying to swarm them, but someone grabs his hood and roughly pulls him back.

“Stay together!” Aqua calls as the group forms up, back to back to back. “Don’t let them surround you.”

“Kairi!” Sora’s shout grows hoarse. Xion appears next to him, flying forward with Terra to try and reach them, but they’ve already vanished, the swarm of heartless building and piling on top of each other in a massive black wall that only keeps growing. He thinks he sees a brilliant flash of light between the gaps, but despite its power it peters out and the heartless continue to swarm.

Xion and Terra try to hack their way through, desperate, vanishing into the teeming masses themselves.

 _Pain,_ and a moment later, Sora feels her return. He glances over to Riku, who shakes his head grimly. Terra hadn’t made it either.

Sora feels all the breath leave him at once.

No.

_No._

He can’t watch this happen ~~again.~~

The heartless start to congeal, moving faster and faster, whirling together as a single monstrosity, it’s aura ominous and oppressive, bearing down on them will all it’s malice and ill-intent.

Aqua’s breath shudders.

“It’s okay, Aqua.” Ven tries to keep her together. “We’ll get through this. This isn’t the realm of Darkness!”

“I-” The red of her hands seems pale around the knuckles as she grips her blade tightly enough to hurt. Her eyes are wide and golden once more. “I-”

“Kairi!” Sora shouts again, willing desperately to hear someone answering in turn. He can’t stand it. Donald and Goofy appear at his side, and they nod grimly up at him. He takes what strength he can from that, and they break off from the main group, diving into the heartless towards where they’d last seen her.

Donald blasts spell after spell to clear their way, until he’s panting from the effort and downing ethers as fast as he can grab them. Goofy guards their backs, keeping the heartless from catching them by surprise, only occasionally throwing out his shield to drive the masses back just slightly.

Sora sees a light, and he dives toward it, smacking every heartless in his way until he reaches it.

It’s Kairi hunched over Haru and glowing brightly, encased in brilliant armour, but even as he watches the light wavers, and he sees her tense further trying to keep from letting go of it.

“Kai! I’m here!” He shouts, and her head whips up, but no relief is there to be had. Instead she looks shocked- scared.

“No!” She shouts back, her light wavering once more. “Go back!”

“I won’t leave you here alone!” He refuses. _Not again. Never again._ Donald releases a wide wall of fire, slumping after as the excessive use of magic takes its toll. Goofy hefts him by one arm, fishing in his many pockets for more ethers.

Something roars.

The swarm sweeps around them, and Donald and Goofy are wrapped in it, pulling them away and vanishing them into the teeming black mass. 

“Donald- Goofy!” Sora cries, but they’re already gone. He whirls as the swarm tries to take him too, fending them off with a flurry of desperate strikes. By the time he turns again, he’s lost sight of Kairi.

“Sora!” Riku’s voice. Something grabs his arm, and he looks down to find Kairi there, all grim determination. Her light glows brightly, and he feels it warm him from the inside out.

“Don’t let Riku do anything stupid.” She says, and then smiles, which confuses him enough that he doesn’t realise it at first as her grip on him tightens. Her light wraps around him, leaving her completely as she suddenly shifts her weight and _throws_ him with all her strength back towards the group.

He tumbles to a halt, borrowed light scattering the dark beings around him enough to give him safe passage for a brief moment before it sputters out. He’s still surrounded by heartless but they’re thinner here, and a moment later the sounds of fighting and boots in the dirt become clear as Riku rushes up to him.

“Sora, where’s Kairi?” He asks as Sora gets to his feet, fending off the swarm to give Sora the time to do so. Sora feels lightheaded and breathless. There’s no time to cry.

“I- She-” He doesn’t know. He refuses to believe she’s gone yet. He can’t. _This wasn’t how this was supposed to go, ~~it was supposed to change this time-~~_

Riku’s mouth settles into a grim line, and though his stance doesn’t waver, Sora can see the heartbreaking grief that settles in his eyes. His jaw clenches, and his free hand balls into a fist.

“Okay.” He says. “Okay. We can still do this. We can…”

“How, Riku?” Sora explodes. “What can we even do? Where is Ven? Roxas?” Aqua? The King?

Riku swipes at the teeming mass of heartless to drive it back. It’s coincidence that it makes him turn his back to Sora so he doesn’t have to answer. The answer is obvious.

“We’ve lost.” Sora kneels in the dirt. “We’ve lost again. I’m never going to escape.”

“No!” Riku’s voice is loud, determined in the face of hopelessness. “We’ll get through this. We’ll save them! You can do this, Sora!”

Sora wants that confidence, deluded or not. Riku _shines_ before him as he stands guard over Sora, beautiful and magnificent. The mass of heartless shifts again as if sensing this change, congregating before them in a whirling mass that coats the sky and ground, drowning them in malicious intent.

Riku takes a deep breath.

“We’re done.” Sora whispers. “I can’t do this again.” The words come from his mouth without thought, he’s not even sure what he means by that. Everything hurts.

“You’re stronger than you know.” Riku says, back turned to Sora, facing the whirling vortex of darkness. “You can. I believe in you.”

The vortex launches itself at them.

And Sora watches Riku die.

~~Again.~~

-

The empty blue sky is so familiar.

Sora doesn’t move. He’s too tired, a bone deep weariness that sinks into his very marrow. Every aching part of him wants to just let go, and lay here, wherever here is, forever.

He remembers.

He doesn’t know why, and he no longer particularly cares. Adventure, death, rebirth. So many loops, each slightly different than the last, but each ending with the same result. The fall of the guardians. Half the time they don’t even make it to fighting Xehanort's darknesses.

He huffs a halfhearted laugh. All Xehanort's planning, and so often it all comes to naught because the first challenge was too much.

This had been the longest loop by far, a calculated risk that had failed like all the rest. He’s probably just lucky the weight of the forgotten memories hadn’t hit him as a child all at once, instead building in his heart (thought not his head) at the points they had happened in previous times.

He doesn’t remember this place however, though considering the loops he assumes he’s been here before. He lays his head back against the watery floor that leaves no wetness behind it.

_“Get up.”_

He blinks his eyes open. There’s someone next to him.

“Xion?” He asks, and though there’s little more than a vague impression of sparkles, he can feel her smile.

 _“You just gonna lay there all day?”_ She asks, and he can feel the tease on her tongue, the unsaid ‘lazy bum’, but he’s grateful she doesn’t say it. His heart is too weary for even such familiar lighthearted teasing right now.

“I’m tired, Xion.” He says, and her smile falls.

 _“I know.”_ She says. _“But you can’t give up yet.”_

“Why not?” He asks. “I’m tired of doing this over and over again.”

He’s not looking at her, so he misses her confusion, but she moves past it.

 _“Please, Sora.”_ She asks. Begs. _“Please get up. We can’t just give up on them all, and I can’t **do** anything without you.”_

…. He can’t say no to that, just like he can never seem to say no to a plea for help. He sits up, and finally gets a good look at himself.

He’s utterly translucent, only the barest outlines of his form still present. He looks over his hand, turning it over and inspecting how the lines seem to shift.

“Oh!” A new voice, high and childish, and Sora looks up to see an approaching ball of light. It bursts into a new form as it nears the water, becoming a strange creature that Sora doesn’t recall having ever seen before. “You’re back!”

 _“Back?”_ Xion asks, and the little creature turns their plush head towards her. She has no real form here, but clearly she’s present enough that the cat-like creature can see her. Or something.

“Well, not you. You’re new. But Sora here ends up here a lot. Looks like you’ve got yourself all broken up again.”

To Sora this just confirms that this is part of the loop despite not remembering it along with the rest. The knowledge brings him only more weariness. He was still caught in the endless cycle. Even Xion’s presence being new does not give him the hope he so desperately needs. Still, he makes the effort to put on his best paying-attention face.

“Broken up?”

“Yeah.” The creature nods. “I’m Chirithy, by the way, since you never remember. Most people just come here as their hearts and souls once they’ve died, but you’ve got bits of body too, and every time there’s more pieces- both body and spirit. You need them in order to go back in time again… I’m assuming that’s your plan anyway, since it always is.”

That makes sense. He had to have been substantiating the loop somehow. Apparently this was how.

 _“Wait, time travel? Died?”_ Xion asks. _“Does that mean…”_

“Yup, you died. Though sometimes sleep and death touch, and people can end up here that way too, it’s just a little more rare. Those ones come and go however, death is more permanent… Usually.”

Sora hauls himself to his feet, feeling Xion and Chirithy watching him. He can’t stop while they’re watching. He can feel his connection to Xion, despite what had happened, so he was still beholden to help her at least.

“So what do I do?” Sora asks. Chirithy points.

“Find your pieces. Gather as many as you can.”

They fade into being, little reflections of himself wandering the wide blue expanse, and Sora takes a deep breath.

“Okay.”

Every step is heavy, but it grows just a little lighter as he collects himself- literally. Each piece is a part of him, and it reminds him just a little bit of hope, of why he wants to go back, even if it still _feels_ hopeless.

“Sora?” A voice calls, one of the many lost stars scattered around this otherwise empty place, and Sora skids to a surprised halt at hearing it.

“Hello?” He asks. The voice sounds familiar, but he can’t quite-

 _“Naminé!”_ Xion gasps, the distorted sparkles of her form dashing forward to ‘stand’ before the floating star. He hears Naminé sigh in relief.

“Xion! You’re okay. Well.. as okay as it gets right now. I’m so glad.”

Fragments of memory fight wars in Sora’s mind, but he has no time to sort them out right now.

“Where’s Kairi?” He asks instead. How could only one be here and not the other?

“Her light lives on.” Naminé answers, not really answering Sora’s question. “It’s holding on with everything it can, even as everything else is stripped away.”

 _“Including you.”_ Xion says sadly. Naminé’s star bobs a little, as if in a nod.

“Including me.” She says. “Not just me. Her body, her soul… bit by bit it’s being whittled away, held together by a single thin hope.”

“Hope for what?” Sora asks softly. He doesn’t want to hear about this. He doesn’t want to hear about how she’s dying, all alone again. Like Riku had. Like he had. Another promise broken.

“You.” Naminé answers. “You can change this, and she knows it, instinctively. Just like Riku did. Her light held you together, and Riku’s faith allowed you to travel here as yourself.”

Sora’s body is still half translucent and missing pieces, but something lodges uncomfortably in his throat despite that.

 _Me?_ He thinks. He doesn’t believe he has that kind of worth. And if he does… was that all he was to them? An instinctual draw with nothing to do with him as a person? He shakes his head roughly. Of course they were his friends. He’s thinking too much. Right?

~~Wouldn’t they be so much happier together without him getting in the way, though? He’s seen the way they’re drawn together, the affectionate teases, the hand holding. He hadn’t wanted to see it but it’s _there-_~~

Funnily enough, this gives him strength.

What happens to him doesn’t matter. His heart is already broken after all, in the very literal sense. But his friends deserve to be happy. And to make that happen he has to break this loop.

“Okay.” He nods. “No big deal, right? Go back, change the past… again, make sure they’re okay. Easy peasy.”

Xion laughs, a little incredulous.

 _“Could it really be that easy?”_ She asks.

“Time to find out.” Sora puts every bit of confidence he can muster into the statement. “Thanks, Naminé. We’ll get you out of here soon.”

“Terra too.” Naminé says softly. “He came when Riku fell, but it was harder for him to hold on to himself than it was for me.”

Sora nods. It makes sense for all that it hurts.

“Good luck, Sora.” Naminé wishes them all the luck she can muster. “Xion.”

And they’re off, collecting his pieces again with more fervor this time. He can’t get them all, too aware of the ironically dwindling time he has to do so. He doesn’t know how long Kairi’s light can hold on, and it’s not a boundary he can risk pushing.

Hopefully whatever he’s leaving behind isn’t important.

Still, he at least looks normal again, and summons his keyblade, uncertain exactly what the next step is.

“So… what now?” He asks no one in particular. Xion isn’t sure either.

“Oh boy.” Chirithy appears suddenly, making both jump. “We really gotta do this every time, huh?”

“It’s not my fault I don’t remember this part.” Sora pouts, and he can feel Xion’s concerned confusion at his back, but he doesn’t acknowledge it. No time, ironically.

“Which is why you keep making the same mistakes, over and over.” A new voice speaks, and Sora jerks back in surprise as a familiar hooded figure appears in a wash of darkness.

“The young Xehanort?” He gasps. “How are you here?”

“Sleeping, probably.” Chirithy answers for him. “Like I said, the realms of sleep and death touch, just the barest amount. He must be using that thin crossover to manifest here.”

“Smart creature.” Young Xehanort smirks. “If only you were better at explaining all these things you know.”

“Hey!” Sora cries, offended on Chirithy’s behalf. “Leave them alone, they’re trying their best.”

Sora pauses to look down at the little creature.

“They?” He asks. Chirithy shrugs.

“I have no preference.” 

Xion blinks, translucent head turning back and forth between the two, gears turning.

“Yeah, so leave them alone.” Sora looks back to Xehanort, who taps his fingers against his thigh idly.

“I would have had they bothered to guide you properly.” The young man sighs. “In fact I have, for far too long. This endless loop has long grown tiresome, boy. _I_ am tired, and I crave something new.”

“You’re… here to help?” Sora tilts his head, confused. Why would he help them?

“To a point.” Xehanort waves a hand. “Make no mistake, we are still on opposing sides, but in this our goals are aligned.”

Sora glances at Chirithy, who shrugs. Then at Xion, who’s reaction is similar.

 _“We should hear him out, at least.”_ She suggests, though it’s tentative at best.

“You go back, again and again, trying to change things, but time travel comes at a cost. Memory. You know this, yes?” Xehanort starts to pace. Sora nods. “And you always, inevitably, go too far back.”

“Too far?” Sora tilts his head. Chirithy turns to look up at him.

“Usually you end up travelling to around where this journey started, looking for the power of waking, but sometimes you go back even earlier. Last time was the farthest you went, all the way to your childhood, and you almost shattered under the strain of it.”

“All of which was utterly pointless.” Xehanort scoffs. “Tell me, what of your journey truly, _actually_ needs to change?”

Sora thinks. There were so many things he’d want to change, but without memories of the events to work with, most would be outright impossible. The only thing he wanted to change more than anything…

“The Graveyard. Where we failed.” He answers. “But doesn’t everything before that lead up to it? Shouldn’t changing the things before that make that change too?”

“Normally you would be correct.” Xehanort allows, and he seems almost pleased with Sora’s astuteness. “However the Graveyard is a sort of… lynchpin event. All timelines have them, scattered across their surface, and they are quite rare. The form they take may change, the smaller actions within them different, but they will always exist in some form. The Keyblade Graveyard was determined by fate, and so it must remain, no matter what actions you take before it.”

“So then… what’s the point of trying to change anything?” Sora asks as his heart sinks. Xehanort sighs.

“You’re missing the point. You keep making the same mistakes because you cannot remember. There is a crucial difference you are not taking advantage of.”

 _“And what’s that?”_ Xion asks.

“ _You_ have already suffered the fated loss, and so it no longer applies. Not to you.”

“He’s right.” Chirithy says. “You’ve been free for some time, which is part of why you can keep going back to try again.”

“So then why does it keep happening?” Sora demands, frustrated. Xehanort levels him with a flat look.

 _“You_ are free of fate. Your compatriots are not. For them it is as if every loop is the first time, and so the cycle continues.”

 _“Does me being here mean I’m free of it too?”_ Xion asks. Xehanort outright rolls his eyes.

“Have you travelled to the past in order to circumvent it?”

 _“Uh… I don’t know.”_ She says.

“Then you haven’t.” Xehanort says. “Though assuming such travel again occurs, and you are taken with him, one may assume that _then_ you may be free.”

“So I need to break the others free of fate too.” Sora puts the pieces together. “Which means… bringing them with me, somehow?”

Xehanort smiles.

“Correct.”

 _“But they were lost, weren’t they?”_ Xion asks. Xehanort nods.

“To the tides of darkness yes, as were you. Now tell me, young wielder… What power do you have over the hearts of others?”

“The power of waking.” Sora realizes, lighting up. “I can use the power of waking to gather them up, the same way I released them before.”

“Sora, this is extremely dangerous.” Chirithy cautions. “This isn’t how the power was meant to be used. You could hurt yourself irreparably, and your heart is already barely holding together.”

“I’ll be okay.” Sora tries to console. “It sounds like this might be the only way, and I have to make sure my friends get through this. It’s the only thing that matters.”

 _“What about you?”_ Xion asks, and she sees how fake his smile is.

“No worries. I’ve been through worse.”

“And now you have your goal.” Xehanort says. “Make your choice.”

“I’ll do it. It sounds like our best bet to break out of this.” Sora nods. He turns and kneels in front of Chirithy.

“Thanks, Chirithy, for helping.”

“Oh it’s no problem.” The little creature sways, embarrassed. “Any friend of Ven’s is a friend of mine.”

 _“You know Ven?”_ Xion asks, surprised. Chirithy nods.

“I’ve been waiting for him here for a long time. I know we’ll see each other again some day.” They say, optimism in their tone. Sora smiles.

“You will. I’ll make sure of it.”

“You keep making that promise. But I believe you’ll try your best.” Chirithy chuckles. “Good luck, Sora.”

Sora stands, and looks to where Xehanort still stands. He bites his lip.

“I guess… Thanks to you too. Even if your future self is the reason we’re in this whole mess in the first place.”

Young Xehanort chuckles darkly.

“We are all at the whims of fate… except for you. Make no mistake, should you break us all free, I will not hold back in the coming battles.”

Sora scowls at the response, but there’s one more thing he wants to ask.

“You remembered, during the loops. How do you remember but I don’t?”

“I have always had an affinity for time magics. My awareness was not instantaneous, if you must know. We have been doing this for a _very_ long time.”

They have, and Sora is grateful those memories will likely vanish once he completes this (hopefully) last jump. There are so many crowding inside him that even considering them makes his head and heart ache. There’s nothing to be done about it so he turns away, keyblade flashing to life in his hands. He closes his eyes, feeling the now familiar tingle of power at his fingertips. He calls on it, feels the pull-

A portal flashes to life, and he feels the first heart beyond it.

He looks back at Xehanort and Chirithy, flashes them a smile, and then enters the portal with Xion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chirithy: what the fuck's a pronoun  
> xion: wait you can do that
> 
> that interlude chapter Stow Away shoooouuuld make more sense to you guys now. hopefully. sora being Not Okay is definitely reaching a fever pitch, but unfortunately there is a lot to do before they have even the possibility of dealing with all that.


	26. To ask if there is some mistake.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dive To The Hearts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is it (mostly) accidental religious allusions or do i just think bells are cool?
> 
> yes

It’s a dive like the ones he’d done in the sleeping worlds, but now there are multiple places to choose from, each tugging on his heart. Something unwinds from around him, some protection he hadn’t even known was there.

 _“Well, where to first?”_ Xion calls over the rush of the dive. He steels himself, letting himself angle for the strongest connection- one as old and familiar as the back of his hand.

He tumbles out into what looks like a world, albeit a strangely empty and silent one. Corona.

Two bodies lay curled in the grass, surrounded by wildflowers and dandelions, translucent in the same way Sora had been when he’d awoken in the Final World.

“Ven.” He says as he stands above them, and then confusion settles in as he sees the second body. “Vanitas?”

 _“Why would he be here?”_ Xion asks the same thing Sora is wondering. _“He wasn’t with us when we fell.”_

“Maybe because he’s still connected to Ven in some way.” Sora wonders. “It’d explain why they’re both in the same place.”

 _“Maybe.”_ Xion says. Sora’s keyblade comes to his hand, power gliding across his hand, and their hearts flash bright and pink as they float up to Sora. _“It’s weird. I can feel them, but I can’t talk to them.”_

“They’re still sleeping.” Sora says. “I’m just holding on to them until we get through this, then I’ll wake them up if I have to.”

The comfort he gets from their hearts being so close to his once more is a guilty one that he tries to ignore as he raises his blade once more. Another portal, another dive. Next.

He follows the tug, and this time he comes out in Twilight Town. In the center of the square at the bottom of the clocktower lies-

 _“Roxas!”_ Xion floats forward, hovering over his opalescent body. _“Oh, Roxas.. It’ll be okay now. We’re gonna make it okay.”_

Sora pulls on the power, feels it tug a little more sharply than it did before, and Roxas’ heart rises to fall in line with Ven and Vanitas behind him. The body vanishes into a shower of sparkles, and Xion returns to Sora’s side.

Next.

The Scare floor. Haru lies propped against a door, head bowed and face shadowed. Sora’s glad. He’s not sure he wants to see Haru’s face after… Well.

Next.

Radiant Garden, eerily silent without even the roar of the rising falls in the distance. Donald slots into place next to the others. The power glides like sandpaper across his skin.

Next.

San Fran Sokyo. Not what Sora expected for Goofy, but then maybe the cheerful dog enjoyed busy places more than he’d thought.

Next.

The Dark Realm. Aqua’s heart resists him at first, unwilling to be bound in any way, not again, but he coaxes it to his side eventually, nestled with the others trailing behind him like a line of ducklings. The power in him grows rougher, sandpaper becoming ground glass beneath the surface.

Next.

The Caribbean, strangely enough. Mickey’s heart comes to him readily.

He lifts his keyblade, and his hands shake. The power is sharp and cutting now. He feels like he’s thinking through a haze of needles.

“Only two more.” He tells himself, and he can feel the concern radiating off Xion.

 _“Almost there.”_ She confirms. _“Can’t leave Riku and Kairi waiting, right?”_ She tries for levity, but it falls flat. Sora can’t help but wonder what it means that his oldest friends are the last he finds. Had their connection, their friendship, been so weakened?

He opens the next portal, and dives.

Olympus.

The massive golden altar he’d seen before stands in the center of the large pavilion, and Sora finds two figures.

Above the altar floats Riku, like the ghost of some ancient sacrifice. At its base stands Kairi, the only of the hearts he’d seen to do so, though her eyes are closed and she’s asleep like all the rest. Her hands rest upon a fancy blade stabbed into the ground before her, one Sora doesn’t recognize, though it’s shape is more or less the same as the blade of ice that Kairi makes for herself. Armour similar to what she had worn when she had rested in Sora’s heart adorns her chest and shoulders.

She looks resplendent and powerful, just as Riku looks like something holy that should not be looked upon, let alone touched.

 _“Sora?”_ Xion asks, and Sora realises he’s been staring, taking in the tableau before him. He shakes himself, raising his blade.

Kairi’s eyes snap open, startling both Sora and Xion, and the Power of Waking flickers out before he can grasp Riku’s heart properly. She moves slowly at first, pulling the blade before her from where it’s embedded into the golden floor and bringing it to a familiar ready position.

“W-wait-” Sora starts. His heart hurts. He can’t fight her, not after having watched her die ~~(so many times- she’s died- they’ve all died- so many-)~~

 _“I don’t think she’s gonna wait.”_ Xion warns as Kairi raises her sword, face impassive.

She charges, and Sora dodges as she brings her weapon down, splitting the flooring and sending shards of it flying into the air. She wrenches it from the groove and swings again, making him dance backwards to avoid the deadly sharp blade.

“Please stop-” Sora begs. “Kairi!”

“INTRUDER.” Her voice tolls like massive bells ringing inside his head, echoing and terrible though her mouth doesn’t move. “LEAVE.”

“I-It’s me, Kairi.” He brings his keyblade up in time to block the next strike, but it puts him in the position to look directly into her empty eyes and he hates it. “What is going on?”

“THE KINGDOM THAT PROTECTS MUST IN TURN BE PROTECTED.”

Behind her, Riku’s body continues to float, unknowing of the commotion so far below.

Kairi’s foot lashes out, catching Sora’s legs and making him stumble awkwardly as she swings her blade again. He ducks, knowing he’s lost at least some hair off the top of his head as she misses him by the barest inches, rolling away as she overextends before drawing back to her ready battle stance.

Sora’s heart pounds in his ears. He feels Xion only at a distance. The hearts he’s collected shudder around him, asleep but reacting to the tumult, rattling against his own heart like links in a chain. Kairi swings again and though he dodges she still catches his arm, a thin line of blood runs down his skin.

It’s too much

Kairi steps forward, blade raised once more.

Why her?

It’s too much

Xion is yelling at him to move, but he’s frozen.

Why was this happening?

It’s too

_Much_

Xion’s shouting dims, and then vanishes, buried beneath the dark that leeches across his skin and coats his heart. The pain numbs, the confusion flees, and all Sora knows now is the rush of battle and the temptation of hearts around him.

“HEARTLESS.” The emotionless tones of Kairi’s voice speak, but Sora no longer understands it. He understands the tolling of the bells though, the dramatic rise and fall of metal and brass a clear warning to all who might hear. His instincts are a confusing maelstrom now, and so he goes to the simplest solution.

This thing wishes to fight? Then he will fight.

Her sword comes down on empty air, Sora having already slipped away, claws bared and catching against the only semi-solid body that is his enemy (friend? Enemy? Love? Lost?), making her stumble. She recovers quickly, reaching out to grab the tail of his jacket and flinging him over her shoulder. He bounces once and then lands on all fours like a cat, rushing her before she has the chance to turn fully.

His claws leave no wounds on her not-quite-real body, but they leave very real marks on the armour around her, long and wicked lines left in metal made of light and heart. He strikes, again, again.

She knocks him away, and he skids to a halt near the massive altar in the center of the room. He pushes himself to his feet, and then is distracted by what hangs silently above.

Sora no longer recognizes the heart as Riku’s. Not specifically anyway. He only knows it glows brightly, sweetly, and he _wants_ it. It calls for him and he wishes nothing more to indulge in that.

“TOUCH NOT MY KINGDOM.” Kairi rushes him, forcing him away from the golden pillars, and in his state Sora quickly forgets about the sweet heart that calls to him even in a sleep of near death, focusing on the relentless force that guards it instead.

She shows no emotion as she fights, no reaction as the armour starts to fall away, the joints already weakened from before Sora had even entered this place, unable to withstand the assault they face now as Sora tears at them, trading her every swing with a slash of his own.

From the cracks in the armour comes a light, and something in Sora craves it. _Needs_ it. Selfish, craven creature that wants the light of home and safety more than anything else in this moment.

Kairi stumbles, and Sora tackles her to the ground, claws gripping at the golden armour and tearing it away, revealing the glowing prize beneath. He pulls her effervescently glowing heart from her, holding it in his hands like something so precious he cannot name.

He stops, and she doesn’t move, staring up at him with empty, doll-like eyes.

He wants to eat it, to consume, fill himself with it’s light until he’s full to overflowing.

He does not.

He can hear Xion wailing, beating against the black walls of his heart, begging and pleading. He can feel Kairi’s heart, sitting so gently in his hands, so full of warmth and love and oh. It _hurts._ It hurts so much. What is he _doing?_

The dark bleeds away as the tears start to fall.

He lets out a wail, long and loud as he curls over her fallen body and the heart still in his hands. Her expression doesn’t change except to close her eyes as the body starts to fade into indistinct glimmers like all the rest.

“OH.” The bells in his head toll, but muted now, softly, almost gentle. No more do they warn, now they chime like revelation, like renewal. One hand reaches up to softly cup his cheek. “IT IS _YOU.”_ And then at last they fall silent completely as her body vanishes.

Sora sobs brokenly, Kairi’s heart clutched to him. The other hearts around him shudder, their sleep no longer restful, reacting to his pain.

 _“Is she okay? Are you okay?”_ Xion cries, finally able to speak again. _“Please talk to me, Sora!”_

He can’t, wracked with shuddering tears and unable to speak. What kind of monster is he, that he would do this to his friends? To people he loves? He’d known what kind of creature he could turn into, they all had, and he’d done nothing about it. He’d thought it would be fine, he’d never hurt anyone right? All his previous lives, it had never gone this far. He’s a fool. He never should have allowed himself to be near them.

No wonder Riku and Kairi wanted distance from him.

 _“Sora?”_ Xion’s voice is thick with tears. _“Sora, please say something.”_

Riku.

Power still tingles beneath Sora’s fingertips, sharp little stabs that feel almost dull now compared to the pain in his heart. Kairi’s light joins the others, floating silently behind him, though now he knows it’s just wishful thinking that he imagines she floats a bit closer than the rest.

Riku’s heart still sings so sweetly from above, a beautiful melody that makes every mote in Sora yearn for it, to bring it close and let the song seep into his weary bones.

The power in him calls it down and something in his heart cracks. He ignores it just like he ignores Riku’s sweet song, an incomplete duet waiting for its accompaniment.

It would continue to wait as Sora tucks it alongside Kairi’s. Her heart hums to its tune, an appreciative audience to his gladly given song, the cheering adoration of a bright love though she cannot fill the hole where Sora’s part in the symphony lies.

She’ll learn, Sora thinks, in time. Sora’s part in this orchestra is replaceable.

“Okay, let’s go.” Sora speaks, the first he has since he had turned into that monster. Or had he simply revealed the monster that was always there? These sorts of thoughts don’t suit him, but he’s so tired. He doesn’t want to face what he’d almost done.

 _“Sora?”_ Xion’s voice is tremulous. He can’t blame her, after having front row seats to all that.

“They’re okay.” He says. “Let’s get them back to where they belong.”

_“What about you?”_

Did it matter?

“I’ll be fine.” Sora dismisses. “There’s no time now.”

 _“Sora.”_ Xion’s tone takes on a steely quality. _“Stop that. I’m worried.” I’m scared._

He stops. His breath shudders and he takes a moment to pull himself together.

“I know. I’m sorry.” He says. “We really don’t have time right now though. Later, okay?”

 _“.... Okay.”_ She accepts, so very reluctantly. _“We’ll talk about it later. You’re going to be okay, we’re going to get through this, and we’re going to talk about it.”_

Sora nods, and raises his keyblade once more. The final pull, shards of glass under his skin, and he knows where he needs to go now.

He dives, and the Keyblade Graveyard looms before him.

“Ready?” He calls, and the hearts around him thrum in anticipation.

 _“Ready.”_ Xion calls back, all steel and determination despite the harrowing hours they’d just gone through. The hearts fly ahead, vanishing into the world just ahead of Sora, as if sensing their final destination and eager to get there. He lets them go, and he’s grateful this takes less effort than gathering them up did.

Sora falls into his own body with a gasp, stumbling slightly. Riku looks over to him- hale, whole Riku with not a hair out of place- with a curious glance to make sure he’s okay. The others walk around them in the narrow cave tunnel, the open area a glimmer of light ahead.

Sora gives him a cheesy grin and a thumbs up.

Kairi is staring at him with an unreadable expression. Sora’s gut crawls, though he’s no longer certain why.

“Everything okay?” He asks. She hums.

“I dunno. Something changed.”

“What do you mean?” Ven asks curiously, pausing to turn to her. “Like just now?”

“Yeah.” She says and then gives herself a shake. “Probably nothing. Come on, let’s get this over with.”

 _“No! Don’t go yet!”_ Xion cries from Sora's heart. _“We need a plan!”_

“Xion?” Sora asks, now worried. Roxas turns to him with a similar expression of worry at the sound of her name, and the rest pause as well when they realise some of them are lagging.

 _“We need to change things, which means we can’t just do what we did last time.”_ Xion says. _“We ah- we need to… oh not now….”_ Her voice trails off, going into her odd spaced out state once more. Sora frowns.

“Is Xion okay?” Roxas asks, frustrated that he can’t ask her directly. “What’s she saying?”

“She said we need a plan.” Sora answers, skipping over the stranger details. “We shouldn’t just rush in.”

“A plan would be nice but we don’t know what we’re walking into.” Aqua says with a frown. Sora notes her eyes are once more a deep golden colour with some concern. “It’s difficult to plan around so many unknowns.”

“We should stick together.” Riku speaks up. “Whatever Xehanort throws at us will be much easier as long as we don’t let ourselves get separated.”

“Good idea.” Mickey nods. “Watch each other's backs. A buddy system maybe?”

“Too easy to get mixed up in the heat of battle.” Aqua shakes her head. “We should stay as a group, and if you do get separated work your way towards whoever’s closest.”

“I think that’s as close as we’re going to get to a real plan.” Haru admits, patting Sora on the shoulder. “It’ll be alright Xion. We’ve got this.”

He should tell them that Xion’s gone quiet again, but they’ve all already started moving again so he doesn’t. His insides twist anxiously as they step out into the light of the wastelands, surrounded by dead keyblades and little else.

Xehanort steps through a portal. He seems annoyed.

He’s also alone.

“Huh.” Sora mutters, not sure what he expected. Donald looks up at him quizzically, but Sora can only offer a shrug in return.

“Welcome, guardians.” Xehanort greets. “You’ve nearly made it. I applaud your resolution.”

“Give it up, Xehanort.” Donald heckles. “Save us all the hassle.”

“Yeah!” Ven joins with glee. “Don’t you have bingo to play at an old folks home somewhere?”

Xehanort scowls, but before he can respond a second portal opens. Sora tenses, but instead of another enemy, a small body comes flying through it instead. It tumbles across the ground as if it had been thrown, coming to a stop nearly halfway between the open portal and the gathered Guardians.

A man steps through the portal, scowling angrily as he dusts himself off, and Aqua and Ven tense at the sight of him.

“Terra?” Ven whispers. Aqua shakes her head.

“No.” She answers, equally quiet. “Just his body, stolen by Xehanort.”

The small, hooded body that had been thrown before them struggles to get their hands beneath them, and Sora is slammed with the feeling of connection, of _knowing._

“Your puppet is a nuisance.” The imposter Terra growls to Xehanort. “And far more trouble than it’s worth. Call in one one of your backups, I do not care. I’ll not deal with it when it tries so thoroughly to put itself in my way.”

Sora walks forward, unnoticed by their antagonists but watched closely by those on his own team, who regard him curiously and with caution.

He’s drawn forward. It all makes so much sense now. This was where she’d been going, why she had seen Saïx and Lea…

He reaches down, and helps Xion to her feet.

Time stops.

Xion’s station is already gone, the connection to her new body had formed without either of their awareness, but she still regards him as he floats in that wide black abyss. The last threads still need to be cut before she can be tied to her new home in truth.

Her gaze is full of worry though, as he raises his keyblade. The glass under his skin pricks and tears without drawing blood.

 _“Don’t run.”_ She says, and he’s not sure what she’s talking about.

 _“Goodbye, Xion.”_ He says instead, and releases her from her prison.

Time resumes, and the wind of the badlands ruffles Xion’s hair as her hood comes down. Despite all her fears and worry, she laughs.

“Xion!” Roxas cries, running forward, and finally Xehanort and the imposter Terra return their attention to their foes. Xehanort regards them mildly.

“I see. How interesting.”

“An extra among your number will make little difference.” The imposter boasts.

“Why don’t ya try it and find out!” Donald yells, all gung-ho as he often is. Xehanort sniffs.

“Very well then. Let us begin.” He opens another portal, stepping backwards through it. “The first test.”

The imposter Terra smirks at them, keyblade flashing to life in his hands. Sora and Xion tense, readying their own blades. They can hear the others moving up, trying to keep their ‘keep together’ plan as much as possible.

The imposter Terra opens his mouth, probably to taunt them, when he’s interrupted by a shout from behind the Guardians.

“Hey asshole!” The Guardians all turn to look at the cliffs where the voice had originated. A figure walks forward, confident arrogance in each clicking step of pointed heels.

Around the darkly clothed figure bleak forms start to rise from the earth, coating every available surface, spilling out from every crack and covering every inch of ground around the cliffs until they start to curve around the guardians in a massive pincer. The Unversed squirm and roar, more pouring in with every second, but not one pays any mind to the Guardians of Light. Each and every single creature is pointed squarely at the imposter, hissing menacingly.

Van flicks his shoulder length hair back as he looks down on them in every sense of the word from the top of the cliff. 

“I’m here to kick ass and take names.” He smirks, all cocky confidence. “And I don’t give a single shit about your name.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> vanitas, rolling in ten minutes late with starbucks: what i miss?


	27. The only other sound's the sweep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle begins! For real this time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so glad everyone seemed really pumped by that last chapter! now it is time for xehanort to do his thing

Idiots, every single one of them.

This is the thought that chases Vanitas as he rushes towards the Graveyard. He’d taken too long, gotten too wrapped up in his distraction, and the jackasses were going to start without him.

When he’d rested in Sora’s heart, the Unversed from his past self had only kind of reacted to him, feeling the connection but not quite willing to listen to his command. Now that he’s himself again they follow him willingly, a tide of uncontained emotions that ride in his wake, once more ready to follow his every order.

He’d gone world to world, once he’d realised what he could do, gathering up the rogue emotions and taking them under his wing. He can no longer create the monsters, his heart has healed, but these remnants of his past still recognize him as theirs, and for now that’s good enough.

After all, what’s thirteen darknesses to an army?

But he’d taken too long, and not realised the most important part of being on a team… Communication. It had only been his own foresight of leaving a few Flood in the badlands to keep an eye on things that he’d known about the Final Battle’s commencement at all.

As the other Guardians step foot into the Keyblade Graveyard, ready to face destiny, Vanitas is worlds away and caught ill-prepared.

So he runs, jumping between worlds as fast as his darkness can carry him. Teleporting is useful but has its limitations, and he doesn’t want to run out of steam before even arriving. He curses his lack of preparation. He curses the sudden commencement of battle. He curses Ven for not somehow letting him know… though more out of habit than any true ill will.

Most of all he curses Xehanort.

He refuses to not at least be present for taking down the bane of his existence.

… Helping the few positive influences in his life stay alive is a nice bonus, he supposes.

Vanitas arrives in time to watch Not-Terra toss a small body across the ground, and as Sora helps it rise he watches it transform into Xion, hood falling away to reveal familiar pitch dark hair.

He has absolutely no idea how the hell that happened, but it’s not like it matters. He spies Roxas down below too, which means they’re all out now. He feels some pride in Sora. Good. The boy is good at hiding these things, but Vanitas knows a fear of letting go when he sees it.

~~Yet despite that he still doesn’t realise how much he’d hurt the boy when he’d run.~~

Xehanort starts to speak, and Vanitas has managed to stop panting now so he makes himself tall on the top of that cliff as he cuts off whatever asinine speech the old man has prepared. The Unversed he’s been gathering are starting to catch up to him after his mad dash, and he urges them forward, feels them crawl out of every crack and crevice ready to do his bidding.

“Hey asshole!” He shouts, and takes oh so much glee from the way Xehanort frowns. Not-Terra scowls, drawing his keyblade back a little and pulling Vanitas’ attention to him.

“I’m here to kick ass and take names.” He looks directly at the not-Terra. He’s sure Xehanort will put himself at the end of this line. That’s fine by Vanitas- it will only make the man’s fall all the sweeter after they’ve torn down his every last pitiful roadblock. “And I don’t give a single shit about your name.”

“You!” Not-Terra growls, and wastes no time launching himself at Vanitas, passing the Guardians and scaling the cliff in a single movement. Vanitas dodges handily and let’s the hoard of Unversed swarm the man. He jumps towards the grouped Guardians, skidding to a stop next to Ventus, who is grinning far too widely at him. Seriously, he looks too happy for being in what’s about to become an active warzone.

“You came back!” Ven continues to grin. Vanitas scowls, and pretends the embarrassed flush he’s sporting doesn’t exist.

“Yeah, well. You losers need all the help you can get.”

The Unversed around them screech, swarming not-Terra, who bats them away easily but finds their sheer numbers to be distracting.

Xion nudges Sora.

“Well, I guess that’s one mystery solved, huh? He _was_ there, he probably just showed up late.” She says. Sora tilts his head at her, confused.

“What do you mean?”

Xion pauses, suddenly uncertain.

“Oh. R-right. Nevermind.” Is all she says. None of that made any sense to Vanitas, but he files it away for later. He doesn’t like how alone and almost afraid Xion looks after that exchange.

He takes that protective anger and funnels it into the Unversed. Priorities.

Not-Terra bursts free of the wall of Unversed, throwing himself towards the gathered Guardians, blade and teeth bared angrily.

Vanitas throws up another wall of the creatures, crawling over each other in an undulating mass that he notes gleefully makes Ven look a little green.

Not-Terra jumps away, clear of Vanitas’ hoard, settling into an idle stance with a scoff.

“Tenacious brat.” He growls. “Let us see how you fare when you no longer have strength in numbers.”

The world grows suddenly dark, and not-Terra grins maliciously as he backs through a portal, retreating.

Darkness circles the group, staining the sky and rising from the ground wickedly. Vanitas hears Xion take a shuddering, panicked breath and he reaches back to grasp her wrist. She pulls back just enough to grip his hand strongly in solidarity and then releases. Their keyblades appear in their hands, and Vanitas hears the sound of the others doing the same.

He reaches out to the Unversed, and even as the first shadows rise from the ground the monsters descend upon them, cutting them down with vigour. A contingent wraps itself around the Guardians, forming a protective circle as the rest go to work.

The sheer numbers of heartless are immense though, and despite Vanitas using every Unversed to his advantage, it’s not long before their numbers start to dwindle, and the Guardians are fighting just as hard beside them.

“We’re not going to last!” Aqua shouts over the tide of battle, and honestly if Vanitas weren’t so preoccupied fighting his own battles he’d be impressed by how well she’s handling the sudden appearance of all his unversed. “We need a new plan!”

Vanitas curses under his breath, feels each lost Unversed like pinpricks across his skin- certainly better than the stabbing pain of his early days, but felt all the same. She’s right. The wall of heartless seems endless, and they’re not equipped for a war of attrition.

His attention is caught when Sora suddenly stills, turning his head away from the heartless hoard as if searching for something. Vanitas doesn’t know what he’s looking at, jumping forward to take down several shadows seeking to take advantage of the boy's distraction.

“You..?” Sora murmurs, and then grins. “Yeah!”

And then he’s off at a run.

“Sora!” Roxas calls out in confusion, but the others flank Sora, protecting him as he goes. Lights start to swell from below, at first only a couple, and then too many to count as they rise up. It takes Vanitas a minute to realise that they’re keyblades. They streak through the sky like tiny comets, gathering together at the top of the cliff before flying down into the battle towards Sora.

Sora hops on them with a laugh, the shadows decimated in their wake. Vanitas can hear Ven cheering raucously nearby.

The tide of shadows rises, the ground around them clearing as it sucks them up to feed its mass, and Sora’s snake of keyblades strikes it with force, light and dark warring wildly in the distance.

The Guardians watch, enraptured by the incredible display. Riku and Kairi suck in scared gasps when Sora disappears into the teeming bulk, but the light is always visible through the wave, and a few minutes later the dark starts to crumble.

Bits of shadow and darkness fall to the ground like oily droplets, the tide vanishing as if it had never been. Sora falls from the sky as the line of keyblades vanishes, dropping to a graceful roll in front of them.

“Sora that was incredible!” Kairi cheers, rushing forward to pull him into a hug. He flushes, awkwardly pushing her away as the others run up, Riku at their head.

“It was.” Riku nods. “You’re amazing.”

“Yeah well.” Sora shrugs. “I had some help.”

He holds up a keyblade, and Vanitas’ heart stutters. The purple handle, the silver star endcap- He knows it. Or rather.. He _knew_ it.

“Who was it?” He asks, voice hoarse. He needs confirmation. Ventus glances over at him before looking back at Sora, putting the pieces together.

“White hair, red scarf.” Sora gestures to his head and neck as he speaks.

“Ephemera.” Vanitas breathes. “He’s alive?”

Sora holds Starlight in both hands, biting his lip. He takes a couple steps forward so he stands in front of both Ven and Vanitas. He holds up the blade, and that’s as good an answer as any words.

Vanitas reaches out, pausing before he can touch the hilt. He looks up at Ventus, who just smiles, reaching up a hand to place it against the back of Vanitas’ hovering one. He pushes down gently until Vanitas grasps the handle of Starlight, and Sora retreats. It tingles in his hand, alive but stagnant, staying with him. He doesn’t know what that means.

Ven removes his hand, but he stays close enough Vanitas’ can feel his body heat. Starlight feels like glitter in his hands, warm but distant. He can’t explain it.

“Thank you, Sora.” Ven says when it becomes obvious that Vanitas isn’t going to speak, still looking down at the blade he’s holding. Sora nods, no offense taken.

“Of course. He was your friend after all.”

The sound of dark portals opening makes them all turn, and Xehanort steps out, followed by twelve cloaked and hooded figures. They don’t come any closer however, as if waiting.

“We passed your ‘test’.” Riku challenges. “Now let’s do this for real.”

“Let’s.” Old Xehanort smirks, and then the ground he and his darkness are on starts to rise, and even around the Guardians the earth trembles. Massive walls erupt from beneath their feet, splitting the group in twain, and then into quarters as they stumble away from the moving rock in shock.

“Wait- no!” Sora shouts as he realises what’s happening, but it’s too late, the barriers have been erected, separating them neatly into groups and complete with the faint glimmer of magic to keep them from scaling the walls the old fashioned way. “Guys!”

Vanitas scowls. Splitting them up was a good move on Xehanort's part, but that doesn’t mean he likes it. He glances over at Ven, who’s ended up with him and Sora. Ven clearly isn’t pleased, glancing around their new surroundings dubiously. 

“It’s a maze.” He says, drawing Sora’s attention. Vanitas frowns, taking stock of the three possible directions the walls have created, and has to agree. It’s eerily silent aside from the sound of their own breathing, which indicates more magic at work as Vanitas is sure they should be able to hear at least the echoes of the others shouting.

Sora joins them, frowning. 

“So which way do we go?”

“Split up?” Three of them, three directions. It’s obvious what Xehanort wants here, and though Vanitas hates the thought of playing into his hands, he suspects they may have no other choice. 

“No way.” Ven counters. “That’s a terrible idea.”

“So which way then?” Vanitas gestures, making it clear that this is not his choice. Sora takes a look around and then seems to pick one at random.

“This way.” He says, striding forward. North, Vanitas thinks, judging by the muted sun. They don’t get far though, as soon as Sora crosses into the new hall magic flashes and the ground rumbles once more. Sora turns in surprise but none of them are fast enough to cross the boundary before yet another wall sprouts between them, effectively cutting them off from each other. 

“Dammit!” Ven smacks a closed fist against the wall angrily. Vanitas just sighs. 

“I knew it.” He grumbles. Ven mutters something uncomplimentary. “You’ve been hanging around me too much.”

“I can be angry too.” Ven pouts. It’s adorable. “I don’t want to keep getting split up. Maybe if we cross the boundaries together?”

Vanitas shrugs. Can’t hurt to try. Ven reaches out a hand, and Van raises one carefully arched eyebrow at him. Ven rolls his eyes.

“Come on. Don’t be a prude.”

“I’m not a prude.” Vanitas grumbles but he takes Ven’s hand anyway. “I’m just not touchy feely like you are.”

“Well that’s a bald faced lie if I ever heard one.” Ven snorts as they walk towards one of the other open halls. Ven ends up tugging them south and Vanitas follows. “You can pretend you’re not clingy all you want, I know the truth.”

“I’m clingy on my own terms there’s a difference-” Vanitas realises what he’s saying and backtracks. “You know what I mean!”

The ground rumbles and the wall shoots up behind them. Hurdle successfully passed it seems, though Vanitas is sure Xehanort has more in wait for them. He won’t relax until this whole business is over and Xehanort lies in his grave.

Ven tugs Vanitas onward, heedless of his thoughts, hands still linked.

Vanitas decides not to let go. It’s just less work to let Ven have what he wants after all.

-

Roxas hugs Xion close as the walls go up, and though she tries to reach for Sora she can’t quite get to him before they’re separated. Xion makes a choked noise as she stares up at the bleak brown rock, and Roxas pulls back enough to look her in the eyes.

It’s just them two in this section, and though Roxas doesn’t like that they’ve all been split up, he’s grateful that Xion at least is with him.

“You okay?” He asks, and feels his worry spike when she shakes her head. Was something wrong with her new body? How had that even happened?

“I’m worried about Sora.” She says, and he’s not sure why.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Roxas tries to assure, but she’s still got that look in her eyes that doesn’t abate his worry.

“I hope so.” Xion murmurs, turning to look down the long hall they find themselves in. There’s only one way to go, and Roxas takes her hand, both for her comfort and for his own.

“Guess we’re going that way.” He murmurs. Xion nods. “We’ll be okay too. Just gotta stick together.”

“Right.” She answers, a determined smile crossing her face as she meets his eyes. It means the world to him, and for a moment his worry flees.

“So..” He starts as they walk down the wide dirt path. “How are you here? I’m kind of confused.”

“Oh!” Xion giggles a little before becoming somber. “I forgot you wouldn’t know. Saïx found backup replica’s from the project that created me. It’s one of the reasons he joined Xehanort, so he could get his hands on this body. That’s why I was zoning out so much, because it was… calling out for me, I guess.”

The memories had become clear once she’d entered the body properly, and she was grateful for that clarity.

“Huh…” Roxas isn’t really sure how to feel about all that. “I guess Lea was right. Saix does care. In his own weird way.”

Bringing up Lea just brings them both down, though, and Xion bites her lip. She’s seen Lea’s regret, but she also knows his mistake was serious, and there isn’t really anything she can say to make it better. They both know what Lea being on the other side might mean for him.

There’s a large open area ahead of them, but Xion finds her steps stuttering to a halt before they can enter it, stopping Roxas with her. There’s no doubt in her mind what will be coming once they step into the light, and there are still things she wants to say.

“Roxas..” She starts, the words getting jumbled in her throat. “Something happened earlier that I think you should know about.”

Roxas turns, instantly concerned. He faces her and takes both her hands, rubbing his thumbs across the back of hers trying to soothe. She appreciates it.

“Me and Sora… well, I guess all of us, technically, but you don’t remember, travelled back in time.”

“What?” He asks, baffled. In other circumstances he might have laughed it off as a joke, but her grim expression and the seriousness of their surroundings halts that in its tracks.

“Back before, with all the heartless… Everyone died, Roxas.” Her eyes well with tears and her voice wobbles. _“Everyone._ It’s only because of Sora that we were able to come back and try again.”

Roxas doesn’t know what to say.

“There’s more.” Xion extracts one of her hands to wipe at her tears. “I only remember the once, but I think Sora’s been doing this for a long time. He doesn’t have the memories anymore, but-”

“The heart always remembers.” Roxas finishes for her. “It sounds crazy but… It does explain some things. Why do _you_ remember though?” Mostly it explains Sora’s suddenly worsening mental health. Sora was good at hiding, but even once he’d seen how hard things were getting for Sora Roxas hadn’t really known what to do about it. None of them had.

“I don’t know. Maybe being within Sora shielded me somehow, or because I was never a true person. Whichever it is, we can’t let it happen again.” Xion says with determination. “I think Sora’s close to breaking. That’s why I’m worried.”

“I don’t think we’d give up if we had any choice in the matter.” Roxas frowns. “But I know what you mean. We need to keep an eye on Sora, make sure he’s okay.”

Xion nods, glad he’s able to see what she’s actually trying to say. It’s been a very long day for her and the words don’t come easily anymore.

“Thank you.”

They turn in tandem back towards the open area. Xion takes a deep, shaky breath and then visibly steels herself with a nod. They walk into the light, barely flinching as the opening they had come through closes behind them.

A portal opens on the far end of the obvious arena, and three figures step through.

Xion remembers a sorrow that feels so distant now after everything that’s happened, though it’s no less powerful for who she faces now.

Axel sucks in a breath and stares at the duo wide-eyed and frozen. Saïx regards them with grief, a moment later closing his eyes as if in pain. Axel turns to the third figure, Old Xehanort, livid.

“Not them. I’ll fight anyone but them.”

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice.” The Master snaps his fingers, and Saïx goes rigid, blue flames crawling up his body as his eyes glow gold. Lea hisses with barely contained fury.

“You’re a monster.”

Xehanort sniffs.

“None of this will matter, should I succeed. Take comfort in the fact that your sacrifice will pave the way for a new future.”

“Why _this_ clash?” Xion calls. She refuses to be afraid, despite the trembling Roxas can feel in their clasped hands. Roxas doesn’t know if it’s hers or his. Maybe it’s both. “Why _us?”_

“Connections.” Xehanort chuckles. “The stronger the connection, the greater the energy, the greater chance of forming the keys I need. But I waste my time explaining this. Goodbye, children.”

He steps into a portal and vanishes, leaving four friends to stare each other down.

Next to Lea Saïx’s claymore forms in his hands and his energy grows, face and body yet impassive but obviously threatening to explode at any moment. Roxas realises that he’s never seen a berserker rage up close before- even the hints of it he’d seen in that fateful portal where Saïx had sacrificed himself for them couldn’t compare to what builds before them now.

“Don’t do this.” Roxas asks, begs, staring directly at Axel. “Just.. don’t fight.”

He can see the way Axel’s expression breaks even as fire wreathes his hands, forming his distinct chakrams.

Axel curses softly, and then his expression settles into an indifference even they can tell is fake.

“Sorry Roxas, Xion.” He says cooly, reverting to old survival tactics to hide just how overwhelmed he actually is. “Possession’s a bitch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so since canon is really vague on how the whole... heart tank thing works, i'm treating it like this: you get to keep yourself (your soul) and free will... so long as you don't fight against xehanorts will. the more you fight back, the more you lose/are subsumed by xehanort. this is how im explaining people being able to retain themselves while supposedly also being posessed. 
> 
> (also handily explains why terranort kinda appears to be mostly just xehanort. terra refused to not fight back, and thus eventually xehanort basically completely took over even though terra was still there under the surface)


	28. Of easy wind and downy flake.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends face off, and another set of friends briefly reunites.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya'll want some popcorn?

Roxas may miss dual wielding at times like these, but all it takes is the barest glance over to Xion and see her brandishing Oblivion with all the skill and grace their trials have taught her to know it’s absolutely worth it. He’s sure he could probably ask the others for some formchange tips later, and come up with something similar if he wanted somehow.

That’s for later however. Right now he dodge rolls past a flying chakram, wincing as too-hot flames flicker across him, trying desperately to stay alive against one of his best friends.

“Stars damnit _hit me,_ Roxas!” Axel yells. Roxas brings Oathkeeper up in a block, and metal screeches on metal as Axel’s next throw connects.

Xion hops across the area, skipping past Roxas as Saïx chases her, immense claymore bringing down massive swaths of blue fire with ground shaking force. His scar is inflamed and his expression one of mindless feral intensity.

“Fight! Back!” Axel closes the distance between them, weapons bared. It’s not how Axel normally fights and Roxas knows it. He works best at a distance, throwing weapons and fire in equal measure at his opponents. Roxas sees Axel summon his keyblade exactly once, on accident it seems, as he throws it away from himself angrily before reverting to his chakrams. Roxas doesn’t have time to analyze that however, as he works to block the flurry of blows coming his way.

He lets out a cry- full to the brim with anger, frustration, but most of all sadness- and finally swings his blade. Axel dodges nimbly, mostly out of instinct, but now he’s starting to grin.

“There we go!” He says, just a little manic. “Come on Rox, let’s make this one a fight to remember!”

Roxas just makes another wordless cry and goes on the offensive, pushing Axel back under the assault. His vision narrows to a bitterly tiny tunnel, focused on his one goal; live.

It’s Xion all over again, some distant part of him realises, where they’ve all been forced into some shitty little corner with no choice left but to fight and kill each other. He brings his blade down in a solid overhead blow, and this time Axel stumbles under the force of it.

He skips away, trying to regain minimal distance. Saïx roars in the background, sounding more like a deranged animal than something approximating human. Something slams into Roxas from the side and he goes tumbling ass over teakettle from the force of it.

He sits up with a groan, and Xion, still half draped over him tries to struggle to her feet.

Saïx roars again, and Roxas’ head whips up as the man charges them, blue flames writhing around him and making his figure stand out sharply in the center. He raises his weapon and Roxas knows they won’t be able to move in time. He brings up his keyblade in a last ditch effort to deflect it, but it turns out he needn’t have worried.

Metal clashes as Axel shoves the weapon aside, leaving it to embed itself in the ground deeply next to Roxas and Xion. Roxas scrambles upright, as does Xion, and they step back quickly as Saïx tugs his weapon from the groove roughly.

“I thought-” Roxas is confused.

“We have to fight.” Axel says neutrally, slinging one of his sharp weapons over his shoulder. “Nobody ever said we had to win. Saïx doesn’t know what he’s doing right now, so that’s my job. Heh. Still getting the icky ones even now.”

“Then-!” Xion’s voice fills with hope, but Axel shakes his head.

“No.” He sighs. “It’s okay. We chose this.”

_-”It was my choice… to go away now…”-_

Roxas doesn’t want to think about it. Xion’s fists clench.

“Axel…” Xion says, voice soft but carrying clearly across the loose dirt of the arena. Axel tosses his head with a tsk.

“Come on Xion, we know how this ends. Don’t hold back now.”

Xion sucks in a sharp breath.

“Promise?” She asks with a breath, as if the word was pulled unbidden from her lips.

“Promise.” Axel nods. Xion hesitates for a moment, then another, and then her expression falls into grim determination as she resummons her keyblade, falling into a ready position. Roxas regards her for a long moment before reluctantly following her lead.

“Guys!” A voice calls, and Sora skids to a halt next to Roxas and Xion, keyblade already in hand. Roxas finds himself smiling in relief, feeling a little less alone with his appearance. “Need some help?”

“Nah, but you can stay anyway.” Roxas tries to joke, though his voice is tight. Axel is looking at them with a doting smile that seems entirely wrong for this whole fucked up situation. Sora gives Roxas a grin and falls into step with him and Xion, facing down Saïx and Axel, ready to fight.

Axel sighs, and without further warning flings a chakram, and the battle begins anew.

It becomes a blur of metal and sparks and light after a while. Roxas taps into powers he hadn’t even realised he’d had, light burning in his vision as he darts from place to place in an effort not to get caught in Saïx’s wide area attacks, dodging Axel’s more precise flames. He launches Sora into the sky at one point for a devastating air attack, and swings Xion around at Saïx for another. He thinks he sees her keyblade change forms too- how did she learn that and can she teach him?- becoming a massive reflection of Saïx’s claymore and striking him heavily with it.

Axel doesn’t interfere directly with Saïx again, but Roxas is sure he’s still corralling the berserker somehow, in some subtle way.

Saïx falls first, falling to his knees after a hard hitting combo attack by Xion and Sora, coming at him from opposite sides to strike him simultaneously. The glow dims, and the blue flames sputter and die as he hits the ground. Axel’s head whips around as he hears Saïx gasp, and Roxas- already mid-motion- can’t stop his incoming strike. He catches Axel solidly in the chest, and sends the man to the ground hard.

Axel stays on his back with a groan, bringing a hand to his chest as if it will stop the rising black tendrils from escaping his form.

Saïx takes a difficult breath, the glow fading from his eyes as his senses return to him.

“Lea…” He struggles to his feet, his weapon now a crutch, and stumbles his way towards Axel’s prone form. It doesn’t last, and his weapon vanishes as his body starts to deteriorate, and he starts to fall.

He doesn’t hit the ground though, as Xion wraps an arm around his waist, supporting his weight. He regards her for a long moment, too hurt and tired to even smile, and together they hobble to Axel.

Roxas approaches from the other side and watches as Xion helps Saïx towards the other man, intent on their goal with each slow step. They stumble to a halt, and Saïx takes a deep, steadying breath.

“We did it.” Axel murmurs. Saïx scoffs.

“This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.”

“I know.” Axel says quietly. He looks up at Roxas and Xion. “I’m sorry. I know that’s-” He hisses as the dark rising from him grows. “I know that’s not good enough. I did what I thought was best. I was wrong.”

“I hate you.” Roxas says, and his voice trembles. Lea laughs.

“That’s fair.” He says, all self deprecation. “I don’t blame you. I fucked this one up real bad.”

“You better come back!” Roxas says, voice rising in anger. “I’ll never forgive you if you don’t come back!”

Lea looks up at him with surprise in his eyes.

“Guess I don’t have a choice, huh?” He transfers his gaze over to Isa. “Well… Ready, Isa?”

“Yes.” Isa nods. He looks down towards Xion, raising a difficult hand to pat the top of her head gently. “Goodbye, Xion, Roxas. Should the worst befall us.. Be well.”

Xion releases him, stepping back without a word, and he falls to his knees next to where Lea lies prone. Lea reaches up a hand and Isa takes it with his own, bringing it up so he can kiss Lea’s knuckles gently.

Lea chuckles, full of affection.

“Softy.” He says, barely heard.

And then they’re gone.

Xion hiccups, once, twice, and then starts to sob. Roxas turns to pull her close, his own chest shaking with tears. He hears dirt crunch beneath boots as Sora shifts awkwardly, but he can’t pay it any mind just yet. They both need a moment to just let it out.

As their shaking lessens and their tears slow they come apart, though they’re still sniffling, turning to face Sora who gives them a sad sort of smile.

“Sorry.” Roxas says, voice rough. “It’s just-”

“It’s okay.” Sora raises a hand to stall him. “I get it. I’ll go on ahead, you guys take a minute, okay?”

“Okay.” Roxas nods, but Xion shakes her head forcefully.

“No, we need to stick together- Sora-”

“I’ll be fine.” Sora gives one of those too-bright-to-be-real smiles, already turning away. “Catch up soon, guys!”

And then he’s off, and Xion tries to run after him until she’s held back by Roxas.

“Hold up.” He says, and Xion turns to frown angrily at him. “No seriously, he’s right. We’re tired, we’re hurt, and we just watched Saïx and Lea die in front of us for the second time. Just… _I_ need a minute, okay?”

She softens then, stepping back towards Roxas, apology in her posture.

“Right. I’m sorry Roxas. I’m just scared.”

“I know.” He says as he pulls her in for another hug. “Me too.”

-

Kairi is growing quite tired of all these separations, she thinks as she pulls Riku away from the wall that had pushed them away from Sora and the others. His jaw is clenched as much as his fists and she worries he might pull something, but he allows her to tug him away with as much grace as he can manage.

Not that she’s much better. She hopes Sora and the others are okay.

She looks around, noting the long hall that they appear to be trapped in, chewing on her lip.

“Well, which way?” She asks. Riku shrugs and arbitrarily picks one. She walks alongside him, quiet but comfortable. They both jump a little as the rock walls close behind them, but there’s nothing for it now but to keep going, so they do.

The shadows are starting to grow longer but they can see the light ahead in what appears to be a large open area. Riku looks down at Kairi, who nods, no words needing to be spoken. In this maze constructed by Xehanort it’s clearly where their next battle awaits.

When they step in at first it seems empty, and they glance around, confused. Kairi feels it before either of them see it, that oily, slick feeling of condensed darkness, and her heart jumps in familiarity as a dark shape rises from the ground.

It falls again however as the form that takes shape isn’t exactly who she expected, and Riku tenses next to her.

“Vanitas?” She asks, and the boy across from them laughs darkly.

“Yes.. but not the one who let himself get soft around you dweebs. Seriously, _you’re_ who I’m fighting? This is a bad joke.”

Riku’s eyes narrow, but his keyblade flashes dutifully to life in his hands. Kairi hesitates.

“Who were you expecting?” She asks, curious. Vanitas makes a sputtering noise from behind his black mask.

“Who do you think? Ventus, obviously. You know, my _other half?”_ He spits the words angrily, and Kairi’s brows furrow. Before she can speak however she feels that oily feeling again, and hears the crunch of footsteps in dirt behind them.

“Well I ain’t your other half, but maybe I’ll do.” Vanitas- _their_ Vani- walks forward with Unchained brandished. He’s wearing a cocky smirk as he saunters forward, and Kairi wants to roll her eyes at the rampant machismo.

“Three on one, huh?” The Vanitas of the past sneers. “That’s fine, I’ll take you all on.”

He wastes no more time, inert keyblades rising through the air and forming a deadly snake in a mockery of what Sora had accomplished earlier, sending the three of them diving to the side to avoid it. Vanitas cackles as he hops onto the wave, launching magic at them as he passes.

“Vani!” Kairi shouts as she forms her light into a barrier around him, keyblades glancing off it as the Past Vanitas swings around again. Vani gives her a simple nod and then leaps upward, trying to knock Vanitas off his ride, but the snake of blades is too fast and he rolls to the ground fruitlessly. Vanitas cackles again, sending another line of blades flying at them and scattering them further.

“Can you do that?” Riku shouts. Vani curses as he deflects a burst of fireballs, singing the edges of his new coat.

“He got them first.” Vani shouts back, no time to really elaborate on that. He shoots his own fireballs back at Vanitas, who flash steps aside and lets them fly harmlessly past him.

“What about the Unversed?” Kairi shouts as she nimbly dodges between the flying blades to get in closer to where Vanitas hovers in the center. She calls on her light armour, settling into a bright glow around her shoulders as she leaps at him. She sees him flinch at the light, but he doesn’t let it phase him as he sinks into the ground, catching her by surprise as he erupts from below her, sending her flying back.

Riku catches her and Vani covers them as he intercepts Vanitas’ follow up attack, trading several blows before Vanitas jumps up onto another snake of keyblades. Vani hops back to where Riku and Kairi are shaking themselves off and readying for the next bout.

“The Unversed are as much his as they are mine.” Vani says, panting lightly. “No point bringing them to this fight.”

“I don’t need the Unversed to beat you anyway!” Vanitas jeers as he soars over them. A rain of ice falls upon them and Riku raises his keyblade just in time to create a wide barrier over all three of them. “You’re _weak!”_

Vani looks up at the flying snake, heels sliding in the dirt as his stance widens and his knees bend in preparation. As the line of blades fly closer he jumps, aimed directly at Vanitas and tackling him out of the air. The two come to a tumbling halt across the ground, and Riku and Kairi run towards them.

Vanitas kicks Vani off with a solid boot to the chest, leaving the man winded as he lands on his back, and Vanitas flips back and lands gracefully on his feet to meet Riku’s descending blade with his own easily.

He deflects Riku’s blow, switching directions to catch Kairi coming at him from the side, and then jumps over Riku’s next attack with a breathless laugh. It’s clear he’s only barely keeping up fighting all three of them now, but somehow he almost seems to be… enjoying it.

Vanitas catches Riku across the jaw in the split second moment Riku’s next swing goes too wide and leaves him open, sending him stumbling back dazedly. Kairi takes advantage of his momentary victory to dispel her sword entirely and grab his extended arm, pulling it around him and throwing off his balance. She can hear his suit sizzle as though it’s burning under her hands but he neither cries out nor reacts to it at all aside a generic gasp of surprise as she grounds herself and heaves him over her shoulder, throwing him bodily into the ground behind her.

There’s a sharp crack as he goes head first into the hard rock, and for a moment Kairi is worried she’s broken his neck, until he reaches up his uninjured arm to turn himself over with a grunt. His mask is cracked, with more small cracks being made even as she watches, the material faltering under the stress.

He lays there staring into the sky, unmoving, and Kairi can see the clear marks where her hands had been on his arm. She feels bile rise in her throat, and it doesn’t much matter that they were trying to kill each other. It was horrible that just her touch could do such a thing, let alone to someone who would one day be a friend. She jumps as someone touches her arm gently, and as she looks up into Riku’s features she can tell he understands somehow.

The mask cracks more, pieces breaking away to fall across his face, and he starts to laugh. Dark wisps rise from his form, and now it’s clear they’ve won.

It doesn’t feel good.

Kairi looks over to where Vani is walking up to them, expression carefully neutral, and then down at the young boy lying in the dirt, still laughing through the pain.

She walks forward and sits next to his head, careful not to touch him. His laughter finally peters out, and he glares up at her, single golden eye hard and hateful.

“Don’t you dare pity me.” He snarls, and the movement he makes has more of the glass shards falling onto his face, though he neither blinks nore winces as they come so dangerously close to his eyes. Kairi knows he’ll disappear soon, the wisps of dark rise more and more rapidly, but she wants to brush them away, save him at least that.

She even starts to reach out, on instinct, before remembering how bad an idea that is.

“Don’t be scared to hurt me now.” He taunts. “You weren’t before.”

Riku settles across from Kairi and does what she can’t, brushing the bits of falling glass away from the boy’s eyes gently. She smiles in thanks. Vanitas snarls.

“Why even _bother?_ I’m already dying, I’m not going to remember this, it’s not like it _matters.”_

Riku shakes his head.

“It does though.”

Vani stands at his feet, looking down at the boy he’d once been with an unreadable expression. Vanitas scoffs.

“No last words from you?”

“Would you listen?” Vani asks. Vanitas barks a laugh.

“No.”

Vani shrugs. Answer enough. The replica body starts to fade in truth, time is almost up, and for just a moment, Vanitas gets a hard, yet almost thoughtful look that Kairi can’t quite decipher.

“...Does it ever stop hurting?” Vanitas asks. He’s returned his gaze to the darkening blue sky, and Kairi wonders if he’s afraid of the answer.

“It gets better.” Vani answers. It’s such a simple reply to a question that feels so full of weight. Vanitas smirks, but it looks so full of pain that Kairi feels her heart clench at the sight of it.

“I guess…. That’s not so bad, then…” He says quietly, almost as if to himself.

And then he dissolves, returned to the past from whence he’d come. Kairi takes a deep, shuddering breath and sees Riku duck his head across from her, as if paying his respects. She looks up as she hears Vani turn away, hands stuffed into pockets she hadn’t realised were there. She stands, taking Riku’s hand to help her up, and follows after him.

“Have you seen the others?” Riku asks as they catch up. Vanitas shrugs.

“I was with Ven for a bit but idiot is as idiot does and we still managed to get separated.” He scowls in annoyance.

“I hope everyone's okay.” Kairi worries. “Especially Sora. I’m still not sure what I felt, but it worries me.”

“He’ll be alright.” Riku puts a hand on her shoulder as they walk. “He’s strong, we just have to believe in him.”

“I do.” Kairi nods. “It’s Xehanort and all his plans I don’t trust.”

“That makes three of us.” Vanitas scoffs from up ahead. “But could you two be any more sappy about it?”

“What do you mean?” Kairi tilts her head, confused. She misses Riku’s blush.

“You three.” Vanitas answers simply without turning around. “I’m glad we’re out of Sora’s heart if only because of how painful it was watching you morons dance around each other.”

“Hypocrite.” Riku mumbles, and though Vanitas turns his head enough to poke his tongue out at them he doesn’t answer otherwise. Vanitas’ propensity for indirect answers and emotional constipation was well known. Riku’s blushing brightly now and though Kairi thinks it’s kind of adorable now is really not the time.

She knows how she feels, of course she does, she’s always tried to be very self aware when it came to how she felt. But it’s a difficult thing to navigate even under normal circumstances, let alone when caught up in a maelstrom of universe destroying forces and evil masterminds. Let alone when there's more than one other person involved. So she hadn’t really thought about acting on it much.

Looking up at Riku’s blush and averted gaze though, she thinks maybe she should.

They’re funnelled into another set of halls, and they look around trying to decide where to go next.

“Hear that?” Riku asks, and Kairi and Vanitas pause to listen, nodding as the faint sounds of fighting reach them.

“It’s coming from both directions.” Vanitas points out, and Kairi shakes her head.

“We can’t split up.”

“Kind of have to.” Riku frowns, not thrilled with the idea. “Vani?”

“There’s three directions.” Vanitas shrugs. “Probably a battle down that one too. Not much of a choice now.”

“Fine.” Kairi huffs. “But you better promise to stay alive and try to meet up again, okay?”

“Fine.” Vanitas smirks at her.

“That goes for you too.” She turns her glare on Riku, who holds his hands up in mercy.

“I promise.” He assures her. She pulls him in for a quick hug and then lets him turn towards his path. Kairi turns to Vanitas next, clearly thinking to do the same only to halt herself awkwardly remembering how the Vanitas of the past had burned beneath her touch. He rolls his eyes and finishes the movement for her, reaching out to ruffle her hair roughly. She blinks in surprise.

“I’m more than I used to be, remember?” He smirks. “See you on the other side, Princess.”

“Jerk.” But she’s smiling brightly. She can’t explain the relief she feels. It would have broken Kairi’s heart to know that even outside the heart stations she could never touch Vanitas- never offer him comfort or share in the joy of a celebratory hug. She’d always been a fairly touchy person, though not as much as Sora perhaps, and she’s glad she won’t be forced to abstain.

Of course if he still doesn’t wish to be touched she’ll listen. She’s not a monster after all. But she’s glad that at least the possibility is there.

She takes a deep breath and turns toward her path and walks towards it with confidence in her step.

The paths close behind each of them, and they each head into the next fight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yknow its getting a little ridiculous that im a huge leaisa shipper, i've had them straight up confess love AND die for each other.... and YET....... they still have not gotten their shit together or kissed or even held hands really.
> 
> ...... it's a messy relationship okay.


	29. The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two more battles down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if there is one thing that kh does that i can't hope to match up to, it's utilizing the disney trio (mickey, donald, goofy) in meaningful and emotional ways. i certainly try, but honestly i just don't know what to do with them half the time.

King Mickey wasn’t exactly who Haru had expected to end up with when the group had gotten separated, but it’s better than being alone he supposes. The King was friendly enough, from what he’d known of him during the year in the mansion. He was closer to Riku than he had been to Haru or Naminé by a significant margin, but still. Friendly.

“Gosh, you look pretty weighed down up there.” The mouse king says as they walk along the single path available to them. “Everything alright?”

“Besides the obvious?” Haru raises an eyebrow. Mickey seems unfazed.

“Well, yeah.”

“Just worried about the others I guess.” He shrugs. “I know they can take care of themselves, but still. Xehanort plays dirty.”

“He does tend to do that.” Mickey agrees with a solemn nod of his head. Haru grunts.

“Plus I have this killer headache. Popped out of nowhere earlier and it’s really annoying.”

“Want a potion?” Mickey offers, but Haru shakes his head.

“Nah, save ‘em for when we actually need them. We’ve got some tough fights coming.”

“Hm. True enough.”

The hall opens into an arena, and it’s not ominous at all, Haru thinks sarcastically. A dark portal opens on the far end, and two figures walk out.

“Data.” Haru greets the boy. Data Riku inclines his head. Next to him, Young Xehanort smirks, looking entirely too pleased with the situation.

“And here we stand, at long last.” The Young Master says. “How I wish to savour this moment.”

“Or maybe let’s get straight to the point.” Haru raises his steel blade and he can hear Mickey summon his keyblade next to him. Xehanort chuckles.

“Always in such a rush. Tsk tsk. Very well.” Xehanort summons his own blade, flash-stepping forward to swing directly at Haru. Haru manages to duck, mostly on instinct, lashing out a foot to try and trip his assailant. He catches only air however as Xehanort flash steps away again.

Behind him, Data Riku still stands, a hoard of nanobots accumulating around him, circling around the arena like an organic fog. Mickey runs toward him, trying to disrupt his control, but finds himself swatted away by a condensed line of the bots. He lands on his feet with gritted teeth before trying again to similar results.

He comes to a stop close to Xehanort, who abruptly changes targets to attack the mouse king while he’s off-balance, but that he’s met by a ready keyblade. Mickey deflects him, throwing an impressive fireball as the Young Master jumps back. He’s not so easily taken off guard.

Haru runs past, heading for Data Riku, but the other boy raises one hand, and the bots coalesce beneath Haru’s feet, and a moment later they throw him upwards. He lands with a breathless grunt, and is shoving himself to his feet again despite still struggling to get air back in his lungs. A barrier forms around him, courtesy of the King, who’s returned to trading blows with Young Xehanort.

The microbots bounce off the barrier harmlessly, but it won’t last long, he knows, so he charges for Data again, this time forcing the boy to move as he gets close enough to be a danger. The bots condense around Data Riku, forming a blade of his own and crude armour, but it’s not how he’s used to fighting and continues to retreat as Haru presses the assault.

Data Riku deflects one swing clumsily, stepping back and out of reach on a wave of bots in order to escape the next, and Haru growls in frustration. His barrier flickers, and then vanishes, and he changes tack as Young Xehanort catches Mickey in a solid blow, sending him flying past Haru. Haru moves in front of the Mouse King, blocking Xehanort’s charge and pushing him back.

Time slows to a crawl, and Haru can’t move as he watches Young Xehanort flash step around the arena, Keyblade flaring out like a whip to lash out at both him and Mickey. He tries to block, but his body won’t respond, and he mentally braces himself for the hit.

“Haru!” A cry shouts, and stylized flower petals form a glowing golden shield in front of him before the strike can land. Time resumes it’s normal course, and he turns just enough to see Kairi running up to the battle, still glowing from her use of magic.

“Kairi!” He calls back, grateful. Young Xehanort casts his gaze between the two, a strange smile on his face.

“How interesting.” He says. “You’re much closer to realizing what you are this time, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kairi settles into a battle ready stance. “And I don’t care. This ends here.”

Xehanort laughs.

“That much is without doubt.” He says. He turns to Data Riku, who waits behind him with the microbots still swarming about. Xehanort reaches out one arm, glowing with power, and Data Riku gasps as the wave hits him and the bots glow ominously with the increased strength.

“I think this will be more interesting at a distance, hm?” Xehanort tilts his head, as though merely watching dolls at play and not the inevitable clash of friends. Haru roars in anger as he tries to strike Xehanort, approaching him with a running jump, but the young Master vanishes into a dark portal before the blow can land.

Haru stands again, and the microbots swirl around them agitatedly. Kairi grits her teeth. Mickey forms up with them, recovered now, giving them both a solemn nod as he does.

“Can’t he just stop?” She asks, though she figures she knows the answer. No one would be here if they had a choice. Kairi hears her phone beep from her pocket, but she hasn’t got time to pull it out. The same happens to Haru a moment later, but they’re already in the thick of it, jumping and dodging thick waves of bots as they lash out at the group. They try to rush Data Riku but are pushed back by another wave.

Kairi summons her shield again, but it only protects from the front, which is a detriment against the highly agile bots. They need a plan.

“Mickey!” Haru shouts, apparently way ahead of her. “Barrier’s on me and Kairi, I have an idea!”

“That’ll- ah!- take a sec!” The King warns, dodging a swarm and striking at another. His magic was powerful but his reserves were pitiful, requiring a recovery period between casts. Haru nods, and then dodges another swarm as he makes his way towards Kairi.

“When the barrier’s go up we need to rush him.” He says. “Both sides, keep them separated.”

Kairi nods, determination in every part of her.

“Got it.”

They split up then, working their way into position for whenever Mickey can land both barrier’s on them. The first barrier goes up on Haru, and Kairi coats herself in light as she waits for the second one. Her armour isn’t quite as effective as the all-encompassing magic barrier, which seems especially effective at shorting out the bots that come in contact with it, but it’s certainly better than nothing, protecting her from whatever blunt force blows she fails to block.

She can hardly see Haru through the swarm- can barely even see Data Riku at the head of it, but when she feels that all-important barrier spring to life around her she knows it’s time. No room for hesitation nor regret.

“Now!” She hears Mickey’s shout, and she launches herself forward, blade bared. She aims to his right, and hopes that Haru has done the same so they don’t accidentally hit each other.

Thankfully he had, and both their strikes land true. They skid to a halt on either side of Data Riku, noting that the swarms have come to a stuttering, jittery halt.

They jerk once, twice, and then start to fall, nearly vanishing as they hit the ground thanks to their miniscule forms. Data Riku falls to one knee with a gasp, and dark smoke rises from his back.

Haru’s phone beeps again, insistently this time. Data Riku looks up from where he kneels in the dirt.

“Let me see him?” He asks, voice quiet. Haru reaches into his pocket and strides up to the fallen boy, phone held out wordlessly.

Data Riku takes it, and the screen flashes to life.

Data Sora looks up at him, and he can’t seem to decide if he’s angry or if he wants to cry.

The boy holding the phone smiles softly despite that. He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a small device, showing the little AI and then placing it next to the screen gently.

“Like I promised.” Data Riku says. “I told you I’d find a way.”

“But he won’t remember this, will he?” Data Sora asks, and Data Riku’s smile falls a little.

“No.” He admits. “But that’s okay. He’s still me, just… missing a few memories.”

“I hate this.” Data Sora sniffs. “I hate that you did this.”

“I know. I couldn’t let anything happen to you, though. I’d do anything for you.”

“Maybe I want to be the one protecting you sometimes! A team, like when we fought the bugs together!” Data Sora bursts out. “Maybe I want to help too!”

“You do.” Data Riku murmurs, quiet and soft. “Every day. Every moment. Just by being you.”

“It’s not fair.” Data Sora presses his hands against the little window, like he wants nothing more than to reach out and touch the other. Data Riku shakes his head.

“Don’t blame yourself. 2.0 will tell you that too. I chose this, and I’d do it all again to protect you.” Data Riku smiles even as his body breaks apart. “Goodbye, love.”

“...See you, my treasure.” Data Sora whispers in return.

The phone and the little drive drop to the dirt as Data Riku vanishes into smoke, and Kairi’s lip wobbles as Haru tugs her closer for a quick hug. They can’t linger, drawing apart only a moment later, but it’s something. Kairi sniffs again and wipes away her tears as Haru steps forward to pick up his phone and the object Data Riku had left behind.

“Don’t lose that.” Data Sora warns, voice still hoarse from emotion but putting on his best no-nonsense face. “I need it.”

“I won’t.” Haru assures, tucking it into one of his more secure pockets. Data Sora nods seriously and then the screen goes blank- though not fast enough for Haru to miss the AI’s face crumpling as he starts to cry in earnest.

He sighs, but there’s nothing to be done right now, so he puts the phone away.

“Come on. Let’s go.”

-

Aqua wanders the wide rock halls alone, trying her best not to let the unnatural quiet get to her.

The golden tones of the rock around her are the only reason she doesn’t find herself sinking into a dark panic. Something about the oppressive atmosphere weighs on her senses, and feels like the endless dark. She refrains from fidgeting, though her still-red fingers tremble at the effort to keep from clenching and unclenching her fists. She keeps going.

The sun is starting to set, the shadows from the high walls growing darker. She doesn’t like that. She pushes onwards, Master Defender clenched tightly in one hand.

“Aqua!” A voice rings out as she passes a T-intersection, and though she can’t help an instinctive jerk towards a battle stance she manages to settle back into neutral as Ventus jogs up to her. “There you are, I was starting to wonder if I was gonna be stuck alone in this maze forever.”

She can’t help it, she feels herself smile.

“Well, we are still in the maze.” She points out. “You were alone?”

“Not the whole time.” Ven backtracks. “I was with Vani for a bit, but those walls seemed really determined to separate us and I miiiiight’ve screwed up, haha. He’s gonna be so mad at me later...” He smiles, rubbing the back of his head with a touch of embarrassment.

Aqua tries to squish down the discomfort she feels that Ven had been alone with Vanitas, still not past her own history with him but knowing bringing it up will only upset Ven. Ven quirks his head at her in worry.

“Aqua, you okay? Your eyes are gold again. They have been since we got here.” He notes, and she flinches, turning her head away instinctively. All that progress undone, apparently.

“It’s nothing.” She tries to deflect.

“Hey.” Ven frowns. “I don’t want to do this again, Aqua. Please talk to me.”

“I…” She doesn’t want to hurt him, she doesn’t want to talk about either subject, but she has to answer somehow. She chooses the one easier to talk about. “I know you trust him. You explained it to me. I just… I can’t, yet.”

To her surprise, Ven smiles.

“I know. Me and Vanitas had a lot of time to get over our issues with each other. You haven’t. It’s okay, Aqua.”

“I thought you would be mad.” She says, confused. Ven shakes his head.

“A little sad, maybe, but not mad. We’re okay as long as you don’t kill him and at least try to get along.”

“I can do that.” Aqua nods, relieved. It wouldn’t exactly be easy, but for Ven she would try.

She would move worlds for her little brother, not so little anymore though he may be.

“Come on.” Ven gestures to her, setting off with a cute little hopskip that makes her heart ache at how long it’s been since she’s seen it. “Let’s get all this done so we can all go home.”

She nods, and they continue on. She wonders what the point of this maze is, making them wander for ages. To wear them down, maybe? Make them lose their edge as the banality gets to them? It won’t work, she’s determined. A decade in the dark has honed her to a finely tuned weapon. A few hours wandering a rock maze was nothing.

Having Ven there was a boon, though, and he keeps up a steady stream of chatter as they walk, which soothes her tightly wound senses. Eventually, she sees light at the end of the latest hall, where it clearly opens up into a larger area.

Ven quiets, and they step into it cautiously, wary of whatever surprise might be coming next.

“Aqua, Ven!” A call comes from their right, and they turn to see Riku jogging up to them. Aqua nods in greeting.

“Riku!” Ven grins. “Nice to see another face.”

“You guys okay?” Riku asks, and though he covers it well Aqua sees the way his eyes dart to hers in concern for a brief second.

“We’re fine.” Ven nods. “You?”

“A little beat up but nothing a potion couldn’t fix.” Riku answers. “Looks like it’s us three for this next fight, huh?” He looks into the ominously empty area ahead of them. Aqua nods.

“We’ll have to give it our all, no matter who we face. Are you ready?”

Riku and Ven nod, faces serious, and with nothing more to say they stride into the arena.

For a moment, it almost seems like no one is going to show, but then a pool of darkness erupts at the center, and a too-familiar figure rises from it.

“You’re not Terra.” Aqua hisses. The imposter smirks.

“I contain pieces of him. Is that not enough?”

Terra rises from Riku’s shoulders, armour glinting in the light, shoulders broad and eyes glowing with challenge. The imposter laughs.

“You’re not so special.”

And from the imposters shoulders rises a familiar dark figure, though this one has no armour, still writhes bound by white strips. Aqua hears Ven gasp softly, and feels her heart seize in her chest at the sight.

Riku seems unaffected though, staring down the wraith and his captor with narrowed eyes.

“Aqua, Ven… I have an idea. Can you pin him down?”

“We might need to wear him out first.” Ven twirls his backhanded keyblade once. “But I think we can. Aqua?”

“I remember.” She nods. They all knew the theory from their lessons with Master Eraqus, though as far as she knows Ven has never done it in practice. “Not how I ever expected to use it.”

“Are you quite finished?” The imposter calls, keyblade flashing to life in his hands. Riku falls into a ready stance, and next to him Ven and Aqua take the signal and burst into movement, rushing towards the facsimile of their friend.

The imposter blocks Aqua’s flurry of blows, pushing her back in time to catch Ven’s strike, taking his momentum and flipping the smaller man over his head to send him skidding across the ground. Aqua leaps back in to cover for Ven while he gets up, keeping the imposter from attacking him while he’s down. She casts a quick barrier over Ven, shaky though her barriers still are, and then sends a sharp blizzaga at the imposter.

He grunts as the ice staggers him, and Ven- now upright- takes advantage of the opportunity to do a quick series of jabs that leaves the large man reeling. The Guardian writhes, pulled to the fore to act in the imposters defence, lashing out at Ven. The barrier shudders under the first blow and then shatters under the second, leaving Ven to block the last strike on his own.

The imposter recovers enough to block the firaga that Aqua sends his way, but it distracts him enough for Ven to dodge out of reach of the Guardian and reorient himself. He lands near Aqua, who gathers magic in her keyblade in a rapidly mounting force.

“Ven!” She shouts, ice forming in the air around them. Ven nods, knowing exactly what she’s thinking without words. It’s a move they haven’t done in years- decades- but he sees the rapidly expanding crystals on her blade and knows what to do. Aqua can see Riku firing Dark Firaga’s at the imposter to distract him as they prepare, and is grateful for it.

She twirls, and the ice flares out around her beautifully, framing her still dark body starkly against it. Ven jumps, timing it perfectly to land on the moving rail at speed, angling his body as Aqua directs the magic still building beneath his feet.

It hits critical mass, and Ven lets out a shout as it crests above the imposter, turning to dive sharply towards him. He lands with force, ice _exploding_ around him, trapping the imposter within.

It won’t last long, Aqua knows. This move could be devastating but it was short lived, and Ven hops back, twirling his keyblade. This was their opportunity.

“Now!” Aqua shouts, pulling yet more magic from her impressive reserves, though no standard spell was this. Chains erupt from the end of her blade, wrapping themselves around the imposter just as the ice melts away. A moment later from his other side another set of chains does the same as Ven manages to cast the spell he’s known in theory but never before actually done.

“Riku!” Ven calls, feet skidding inch by inch across the dirt as the imposter writhes and shouts. Aqua wishes she’d chained his mouth.

Riku raises his blade, a glow permeating around him, but it sputters out as the imposter’s Guardian appears from beneath him and he’s forced to dodge. The imposter himself stills, grinning maniacally and fingers twitching, almost as if he’s directing the trapped shade.

Riku curses as the Guardian swings again. He can’t concentrate, and Terra can’t defend him if he isn’t moving- not enough to guarantee he wouldn’t be hit in the process.

Terra manages to catch the Guardian’s hands, engaging in a short battle of wills that Terra would assuredly be the victor of, but the distraction is too much. Ven and Aqua aren’t practiced enough to hold the binding spell for long, and the chains shudder and crack. A moment later they shatter completely, and the imposter laughs as he leaps away from them, re-summoning his keyblade.

Ven grits his teeth angrily, panting. Aqua tosses him an ether, taking one herself in this brief pause. She’s not completely out of magic, but she has no interest in running out at a critical moment.

Ven pops the little cube in his mouth and heaves out a steadying breath. Aqua glances back to Riku, who’s forced the Guardian back now, and he forms back up with her and Ven.

The Guardian reappears behind the imposter, and Aqua tries not to think about how this was Terra’s past, to have his broken pieces be bound and used like nothing more than a monster.

“You can’t defeat me.” The imposter sneers. “You can’t hurt a _friend.”_

“Terra, can you hold the Guardian somehow so we can try again?” Riku asks softly.

“Not long enough.” Terra answers. “Ideally they should be together anyway.”

Aqua frowns.

“It will be much harder to hold two people in the spell.” She says.

“It already didn’t last long.” Ven adds. She sees Riku stretch the fingers on one hand stiffly.

“We’ll have to try. Ready?”

They nod.

They don’t expect the same tactic of rushing him to work twice, so they don’t bother. They make a pretense of it, Aqua and Ven speeding toward the imposter, but split apart as Riku sends several Dark Firaga’s between them. The imposter manages to bring up Guardian to block it, but isn’t fast enough to block Ven coming at him from the side, followed quickly by a thundaga from Aqua.

Her skin is still tingling from the electricity of the lightning as she charges the spell once more, hoping Ven can keep the imposter occupied for the seconds needed to prepare it.

The imposter notices though, giving Ven a surprise backhand that sends him staggering before charging Aqua.

“Barrier!”

Aqua blinks, and for a panicked second she almost loses her spell before she manages to rally and save it. The imposter's blow lands solidly against the barrier, and she can see the panels glow as they collect the energy, and in the back of her mind she finds herself impressed with its quality.

Sora all but flies in beside her, driving back the imposter with his keyblade, glancing back to make sure she’s okay.

“Hey Aqua.” He grins. She’s too surprised to take note of it.

“Sora!” Riku shouts. “Heads up!”

Sora falls into a ready stance, expression serious, and the imposter retaliates. Aqua takes a steadying breath, going back to building her spell. Across the arena, she can see Ven pause to do the same, seeing Sora has the imposter on the ropes.

Riku’s running, sticking to distance spells as he tries to get back into position. He calls out to Sora.

“Sora pin him! Center!”

Sora doesn’t answer, doesn’t even have time to nod, but the angle of his attacks change, and they know he’s heard. It takes some finagling, but then Sora shouts-

“Aeroza!”

The imposter goes flying, and falls with an earth shaking thud, lying prone for a brief moment. Aqua sees their chance.

“Again!” She growls, chains flying once more from her keyblade. Ven’s follow not even a second later, and they lift the still limp body of the imposter into the air together.

The imposter blinks, scowls, and starts to struggle once more. Aqua grits her teeth and the chains tighten. She can see the light of Riku’s keyblade, but faster is the Guardian she can see rising from the imposter's shoulders once more. She curses.

Before the Guardian can rise entirely, a third set of chains capture it, tying it securely to the imposter. She’s taken aback, tracing the chains back to their source. Sora doesn’t look back, face turned fully on the Guardian he’s holding pinned.

“Yeah!” Ven cheers. “Good job Sora!”

“Now, Riku!” Aqua shouts.

Riku’s eyes close, and a brilliant light shoots from him to the imposter, nearly blinding them all with its brilliance. Aqua shuts her eyes tightly against its burn, only her hard tested willpower keeping her from flinching.

The light fades, and Aqua looks up in time to see the dark wisps of defeat rising from the imposter. The Guardian is gone, and as she watches Terra’s body of shadow and armour fades almost gently away.

She feels a strike of fear, held back only by a thin, desperate sliver of hope.

The chains fall away, and the body they’d held falls limply to the ground. Ven rushes forward with a rare and powerful elixir in hand, but she can’t make herself move. She edges forward cautiously, hope and terror at war in her heart.

The body pushes itself up by one hand, muscles trembling at the effort. His hair is brown again, though streaked with thin stripes silver now. He looks up at them, and her heart aches at the sight of soft eyes with not a trace of yellow in them.

“Aqua..” He gasps, like his voice isn’t what he expected it to be. “Ven…”

“Terra?” Ven asks, almost timidly hopeful now.

“Is it really you?” Aqua asks, and to her shame her voice wavers. Terra reaches up and pulls Ven in for a tight hug, extending an arm to her as well.

“It’s me.” He says, and it’s so very soft and so very Terra that she has to believe him. Aqua collapses into that open arm, tears already pouring down her face. She can feel Ven’s shuddering and knows he’s close to outright bawling, and the tenseness in Terra tells her he’s not far behind.

She smiles through her tears. Somewhere along the way, she’d lost hope they could truly be together again, and yet…

And yet here they were.

“We did it.” Ven sobs. “W-We did it. I kept my promise.”

“We did it together.” Terra says, voice rough. “Thank you. Thank you all.”

He looks up, and Aqua remembers Sora and Riku, who stand a short distance away watching with unabashed smiles.

“We’re just glad we could help.” Riku nods. “And that replacing him with the current Terra kept the body from falling apart completely after his defeat.”

“Yeah.” Sora agrees. “You’re gonna be okay now.”

Riku kneels next to them, pulling out potions and ethers, and Aqua feels the relief that courses through Terra at the sight of them. Though the transfer had netted his survival, the battle had been especially rough on him, pushing his body as far as it could physically go without actually dying. They could all use a minute to recoup.

“Good idea.” Sora agrees. “I’m gonna go on ahead, see if anyone else needs help.”

“Wait, Sora-” Riku protests, and Sora tilts his head as he pauses, curious. “Just wait a second, let me come with.”

“Nah, you take care of them.” Sora shakes his head. “I’m still in tip-top shape, I’ll be okay.”

Riku chews on his cheek, clearly not happy with this, but knowing Sora well enough to know stopping him would be pointless.

“Okay.” He allows, reaching up to take Sora’s hand in a short but meaningful grip. “I’ll see you soon.”

Sora pulls away and gives him a cheesy thumbs up, then he vanishes down one of the open halls. Riku frowns briefly but returns his attention to the recovering group, and Aqua has a thought.

“Oh, Ven.” She starts. “I wanted to ask, did you teach Sora that spell, when you were in his heart?”

Ven shakes his head.

“Nope. Pretty incredible, huh?”

Aqua stares down the now blocked path Sora had run down.

Incredible indeed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> terra's body lives because..... reasons.... yes. also catch me cryin in the club about the data boys again.
> 
> was sora drawing on unconscious memories to do that spell or is he just _that_ good at learning things on the fly? the answer is yes.
> 
> Also if any of you so much as _whisper MoM spoilers to me before I’ve had the chance to play it tomorrow it will be on sight. Keep those comments CLEAN_


	30. But I have promises to keep,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How much sway does Destiny have anyway?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact as of last chapter this part is the same length as every other part of the series combined.

Zexion waits in the open area for his opponents to arrive, pretending he isn’t seething. Next to him, his assigned ally in battle shifts awkwardly. He hears the intake of breath, and braces himself for the other to attempt to speak. Again.

“Ienz-” DiZ starts to speak.

“Stop.” Zexion hisses. Again. “I told you before. I have no interest in what you have to say.”

“I wished to apologize.”

“And I don’t want to hear it.” Zexion doesn’t even look the older man's way, gaze trained on the two entrances to the arena. Where are they? He welcomes death over this.

“Please, Ienzo-”

“And I told you not to call me that!” Zexion does turn then, angry. His heart had regrown quickly, once it had known how, and the emotion’s are as strong as they ever were. “You lost that right!”

DiZ falls silent, and Zexion finds himself gritting his teeth, wishing he would speak again. Anything to break this stalemate, give him the excuse to give up on this charade of compatriotism.

“Did it even feel different?” Zexion can’t stop himself, hissing out the words, acid on his tongue. “When he took your heart?”

“Yes.” The answer is short, simple, and not at all what Zexion wanted to hear. He scoffs, tossing his head dismissively. “I thought I had nothing left to lose in my search of vengeance. I was wrong.”

“Why even team up with him?” It’s the only question Zexion has any real interest in the answer to. He’d never been able to make it make sense.

“He promised to assist in my revenge should I survive.”

“He promised to help you get revenge on him?” Zexion squints, confused. DiZ nods.

“Against, Xehanort, yes.”

The cogs come together in Zexion’s head all at once, and he laughs. He laughs long and hard, nearly doubling over at the sheer ridiculousness of it all.

Xehanort had never told DiZ his name, and DiZ, in all his close minded tunnel vision, had probably never bothered to figure it out. No wonder Saïx had been tasked with keeping certain parties from meeting the others for long.

“What is so funny?” DiZ asks, far too calm for how thoroughly he’s been duped. Zexion stands straight, wiping tears from his eyes.

“I remembered a funny joke.” He’s transparently lying, but can’t be bothered to try harder.

DiZ’s single visible eye narrows in distrust, but the light smiles on Zexion as three figures approach from the first open path, signalling the impending battle to come. A perfect distraction.

The King, the Princess, and the Replica enter, wary but confident. Though Zexion supposes there are several replica’s among their number now technically, but this one was more true to the intent of the word.

That said though, as he watches the teenager stride toward them with only a standard blade and every attempt made to differentiate himself from his originator visually, he must wonder if that is inaccurate too.

It doesn’t matter, he supposes, as the three line up before them, each to varying degrees of reluctance.

“...Do we have to do this?” Such a question Zexion might have expected from the Princess, but to his surprise it is the Replica that speaks. They had only a passing acquaintanceship really, surely he is not so distraught to be fighting Zexion?

“Your hesitation will only spell your doom.” DiZ answers in his stead, and though Zexion feels a flare of irritation, he is right. He can feel the pressure from Xehanort’s heart increase, and knows it is time. The fight must begin.

His lexicon appears in hand with it’s usual reliability, pages flipping in an unfelt wind. Illusions spring to life around him, and their three targets spring into motion to defend themselves, as his shadow copies swirl around them.

Diz for his part sinks into the shadows, magic crackling in the air around him. Lightning strikes and Mickey tumbles to one side in a hasty dodge to avoid the bolt. The Princess tries to rush Zexion but he’s ready for her, swinging his book before him to pull her into its magical recesses. The Replica roars and swings his blade at Zexion, and he skates back out of reach, supported by his magic.

He doesn’t really want to fight them. They’d been nice enough to him during his tumultuous time searching for revenge, and again when he’d been working on replica bodies for their group. They hadn’t been close. He doesn’t regret that, he’s never been entirely sure how friendships work, but that didn’t mean he wished them ill.

But the situation leaves him no choice. He can’t even reliably throw the fight without Xehanort’s heart threatening to take him over entirely. Better the possibility of death than that as well.

His book shudders, and he knows the Princess will fight her way out the traps within soon. He watches as the King is thrown to the ground by what appears to be a Graviga from DiZ. Rather than press the advantage or show any kind of weapon at all, DiZ retreats.

A moment later the reason becomes obvious as he glows with gathering magic, and the ground starts to rumble beneath them.

The Quake spell hits with the power of an avalanche. The Replica in particular takes an especially bad hit, and struggles upright. The King, ironically, appears to have been saved by being held completely stationary by the Graviga. He glances at DiZ, curious if it was intentional. He can’t tell.

A shout, and ah, there’s the final combatant. Sora rushes in, spells alighting the end of his keyblade as he forces DiZ and Zexion to dodge, preventing a continued barrage. Smart boy.

The spell wears off, and the King rolls upright, dashing towards the Replica with what appears to be a hi-potion in hand. Zexion’s book shudders again, and he holds it at a distance as the Princess bursts from it with force, blade brandished. Zexion dodges backwards, but this time he isn’t fast enough, and he grits his teeth as her blade and the accompanying pain hits him. He pushes through it, summoning more illusions to disorient his assailant while he skips out of reach to recover.

The ground quakes again, and Zexion is grateful for his ability to briefly float as the three are devastated once more. Sora tumbles into the Replica with the force of it, meanwhile the King and Princess are sent to the cracked ground with force. Naminé rises from Kairi’s still prone form and she waves an elegant hand, magic coalescing around her.

Zexion’s world tilts dangerously. Confusion. Not ideal, but not the worst condition he’s fought under. He knows Naminé is aware that his reaction to poison is much worse, and wonders why she did not use that instead. It doesn’t matter. He prepares his book for the next assault but he’s not quite fast enough, and he nearly doesn’t even see the next blows coming.

The King drives him back, tag teamed with the Replica. He shudders under the relentless assault, and cannot find the presence of mind to call on his illusions properly.

His book vanishes from his hand, and he knows what that means. He sinks to one knee, and is thankful that his attackers take it as the vanquishment it is. Haru steps back, blade lowered, and Mickey stays where he is, gaze sad.

He hears a cry, and looks over just in time to see Kairi run DiZ through completely, Sora next to her. Dark wisps rise from his red-robed frame, defeated.

He wonders what will come next. There are plans, but no certainty. For a brief moment, he wonders if he should have heard DiZ out.

He meets DiZ’s single eye, and realises no. No matter what came next, he was happier this way.

Ice creeps into his bones and he releases a grateful breath. Good old Even, dependable when he needed to be at least.

-

Kairi gasps as ice forms around Zexion’s fading body, slowly at first, and then quickly encasing him in a solid block. The dark still rises from his form, heedless of the physical surroundings and signalling his defeat, but Zexion himself remains frozen and still within.

Even steps forward, the portal he’d come through vanishing behind him.

“Even?” Haru tilts his head. “Are you one of the Darknesses too?”

“No. I had the opportunity to at least attempt to ensure my apprentice’s safety so I took it.” Even states frankly. “I have failed him before, I had to at least try.”

“This will help?” Sora asks, and Kairi wonders what’s going through his mind. He looks sad and doubtful, and she fears everything is getting to him. Even sighs.

“I do not know. I hope so. He knew this was a risky endeavor, but agreed it was our best chance.”

“Aren’t all Xehanort’s vessel’s nobodied though?” Mickey asks. “He’d come back, right?”

“Not all were made nobodies, but most of them, yes. It makes the heart transfer easier, though there are some he didn’t bother with for various reasons. As for Ienzo…” Even tries not to show his strain, but it comes through anyway. “He may return, and this is my hope should I fail to keep him from fading, but it is not a thoroughly tested theory, and more importantly Ienzo wished to avoid it if possible.”

“He worked hard for his identity.” Haru nods. Kairi supposes of them all Haru was most likely to at least kind of understand.

“Yes.” Even agrees. “Which is what made this whole situation all the more distressing. Of us, I have far less to lose than he.”

“He did it to protect you?” Mickey says. “Seems like a common theme.”

“Even.” The group turns to DiZ, struggling to his feet despite his quickly fading body. The corners of Even’s mouth twitch, but Kairi has no idea what the man might be feeling.

“I can’t save you both.” Even says, one hand resting on the massive block holding Ienzo, and she thinks she hears regret in his tone. It feels strange to her, that these men might once have been friends, colleagues, and here now one of them lays dying by her hand. DiZ shakes his head.

“I know. I did not wish to ask. I merely.. Wished to say goodbye.”

“You may return as well.” Even returns, and DiZ merely chuckles.

“I hope not.” He says, to Kairi’s surprise, and judging by the several sharp intakes of breath around her to everyone elses to. “I’m tired, old friend. So many trials, my endless quest, and it’s only now I realise what I’ve missed… and lost, in its pursuit. I’ve made enough mistakes. So goodbye, Even. Please take care of him for me.”

“I will.” Even promises. He holds the gaze of the man known as DiZ as the other man allows himself a wistful smile. DiZ turns to King Mickey, who despite everything regards him with a deep sadness.

“I’m sorry it went this way.” The Mouse King says. DiZ shakes his head.

“That blame lies solely on me, old friend. When you found me before you tried to make me see, but I was still blinded. Do not blame yourself for my mistakes.”

“Still.” The King, compassionate as always, grieves.

“Goodbye, my friend. Perhaps in my next life I will not be so foolish as to eschew your help.”

DiZ closes his single eye, and then vanishes completely.

Kairi lets out a shaky breath, adrenaline fading and leaving all her limbs feeling like jelly. Haru sags against her heavily, and she almost doesn’t catch him in her surprise.

“Haru, you okay?” Sora asks in concern. Mickey reaches up to pat the boy's hip.

“That last quake got you good huh?” The mouse king asks. Haru huffs.

“I swear, I can’t keep taking hits to the head like this. Eventually even the potions won’t be able to keep up.”

“We’ll have to put you in remedial classes when we’re done here.” Kairi teases, fishing in her pockets for some spare potions. It might not help all the way, but they all needed a quick break regardless.

“We’ll go on ahead.” Or not, as Sora gives her a thumbs up and starts to turn away. “You take care of Haru.”

“Wait, Sora-” Kairi tries to protest, but Mickey distracts her.

“Don’t you worry, I’ll go with him.” He assures her. “You catch up as soon as you’re ready!”

“I saw Riku just before this.” Sora adds, and though it makes her heart glad to hear of him, she wonders why he’s bringing it up now. “He’s just fine.”

“Good.” She takes what reassurance she can get anyway. “Stay safe, don’t do anything reckless until I get there.”

He gives her a cheesy grin and a jaunty wave and then he and Mickey are off, running down one of the new open paths.

“All three of you need to just sit down and kiss.” Haru grumbles. Kairi practically shoves the potion into his mouth as she blushes. Naminé just giggles at her.

“And you need to mind your own business.” She grumbles. Haru laughs, and ends up choking on the potion as a result. She spends the next few minutes patting his back as he coughs miserably.

Well. Shows him for being nosy anyway.

-

Terra enters the next area slightly ahead of the others, and much further ahead than Riku, who’d needed a moment with something, and finds the battle there having already commenced. Donald and Goofy were no keyblade wielders, but they were accomplished in battle in their own right, fending off their three opponents with skill. Despite that, however, they appear to be barely holding their own, outmatched.

Young Master Xehanort darts around the arena, inflicting time stop to put them at a disadvantage at every opportunity. The two younger boys that Terra finds vaguely familiar but doesn’t recognize seem a little clumsier, but still confident in their skills, throwing physical and magical attacks around them with abandon. Terra isn’t sure what Xehanort’s plan is with this combination, but he flings himself into battle anyway, blocking the boy in white as he aims a blow at a time stopped Goofy.

“Oh, more people!” The boy says brightly. “I was starting to get bored.”

“We don’t want more people, Eraqus.” The boy in black grunts as he blocks a blast of fire from Donald. “We want to win.”

Eraqus? Terra feels his world tilt as he looks down at this small, cheerful boy.

“Aw but isn’t it more interesting this way?” The easy grin on the dark haired boy is almost impossible to match up to the strict father figure Terra had always known.

“Master Eraqus?” The words escape Terra’s lips before he can properly think about it. He hears Aqua’s steps stutter behind him, and Ven gasps softly. Eraqus tilts his head.

“Does that mean I get an apprentice someday? Cool.” The boy continues smiling as he swings his keyblade, a silver thing that Terra doesn’t recognize, driving Terra back. He doesn’t retaliate. He’s not sure if he can. “Sorry about this.”

“The Master hated the dark though, why are you fighting on its side?” Ven is confused. As if in answer, he has to dodge a spray of dark bullets from the boy in black.

“Hate the dark?” Eraqus asks, still chasing after a retreating Terra. “Why would I hate it? Being a keyblade wielder is all about balance.”

Ven is engaged with the boy in black as the young Eraqus fights a reluctant Terra. Aqua sees Young Master Xehanort flash step to one side, and she runs forward, cutting off his building spell and putting him on the defensive. A barrier slips over her, sturdy and well made unlike her own, and Donalds spells fly next to hers.

Goofy steps in to block another blow from young Eraqus, and Terra realises he has no choice but to fight. Again.

Ven finds it all too easy to face the boy in black, and despite the many differences, he’s familiar.

“You’re Xehanort too, aren’t you?” He asks in a brief pause between strikes. The boy shrugs.

“I will be.”

“You won’t even try to change it? All the terrible things you’ve seen yourself do?”

The boy tilts his head, curious.

“Destiny is a difficult thing to change.”

They trade blows again. Ven sweeps his feet out from under him, and the boy kicks up at him as he tries to get in close, launching Ven over the boy's head. Ven lands on his feet, and the two descend into punching and kicking, keyblades forgotten.

Ven lands on top, staring down at the boy below him. He’s so young. He’s going to do awful things.

“You’re going to ruin my life.” Ven bites out through a split lip. “My friends lives.”

“Would you like me to say I’m sorry?” The boy asks, and it’s clear he knows as much as Ven how meaningless that would be.

Ven raises his blade with a cry, but is thrown off by Eraqus, who breaks away from Terra long enough to tackle Ven away from his friend. They roll to their feet, and the boy in black sits up, calling his keyblade back to him. The battle starts anew.

Young Master Xehanort’s constant use of timestop is an annoyance, and after repeated clashes and breaks Terra is growing frustrated.

Ven faces off against the boy in black once more, dancing around each other, and the sound of boots on gravel tells Ventus that Riku has finally caught up to them. He slips around the boy in black, drawing his attention and unleashing a flurry of blows to make him retreat.

Ven catches Riku’s eye, and Riku nods, darkness flaring in his hands. He’s still at a distance, but for this it doesn’t matter. Ven waits another half-breath, and then-

“Now!” 

Riku unleashes the pent up Dark Firaga, and the boy turns, trying to block it but he’s not fast enough and it catches him solidly in the chest. The boy cries out, stumbling. Darkness rises from his shoulders, and they can tell this battle at least is won.

Eraqus screams as he sees his friend fall, unleashing a wild assault against Aqua and Donald, who stand between them.

The boy in black looks up at Eraqus as he races for him. He has a stunned, wide-eyed look, but is gone before Eraqus can reach him. Eraqus’ hands shake, frozen for a brief moment as he stares at the place his friend had been. He whirls on his opponents, a vision of anger.

He raises his blade, turning towards the group of Guardians, and charges them, desperate fury in every movement. Ven jumps back, the closest to the sudden assault, flinching as he catches a couple glancing blows. Goofy steps in, deflecting the next blows, and Donald makes him retreat with a wide thundaga.

Young Xehanort steps in, catching several of them in an aggressive timestop. Terra, one of the few not caught, chases after Eraqus. They clash twice, and despite Eraqus’ youth, he holds himself well against Terra’s depleted but still impressive strength. Darkness comes to Terra’s fingertips, building as their blades clash again, and then exploding outward in a wide blast, sending Eraqus tumbling, coated in dark fire.

Eraqus pushes himself up to his knees, looking down at his hands still covered in dark fire with wide eyes. He looks up at Terra, and Terra’s heart clenches at the look in them.

He looks _terrified._

And then he’s gone too.

Terra feels all the air leave him at once. It feels almost anticlimactic. He’s killed his own master twice now, this time as a child no older than Ven had been when they’d parted. He was terrible, wasn’t he? Master Eraqus had been right to be so hard on him.

“I believe this is where I take my leave.” Young Master Xehanort says, flipping gracefully away from the confrontation. “Six on one odds are not my preference.”

He vanishes, leaving the group to the sudden silence.

“Terra?” Ven asks. “You okay?”

Terra shakes his head.

“No, but I’ll deal with it later. Let’s keep going.”

Aqua says nothing, but she steps a little closer, enough that he can take one of her hands. Once she might have initiated such a contact, but now it falls to him, wrapping his calloused fingers around her chitinous ones. She holds tightly, and it brings him comfort.

Donald and Goofy approach Riku.

“Have you seen Sora?” Donald asks, fiddling with his hat.

“We’re worried about him.” Goofy adds.

“I did. He was okay last I saw him.” Riku answers, and Goofy heaves a big sigh of relief.

“That’s good.” Donald says. “He likes getting in over his head, so we all gotta keep and eye on him!”

“Of course.” Riku chuckles. “But you should have a little more faith. He’ll do incredible things if you let him.”

“Well yeah.” Goofy agrees. “But that don’t mean we can’t worry about him too.”

“Fair enough.” Riku says with the tip of his head. “C’mon, let’s go find him then.”

-

Eraqus wakes up with a gasp.

His room is dark, and he tries to collect himself as his eyes adjust to the dim light. It’s the early hours of morning yet if he had to guess, the dawn light only barely cresting the horizon between the other islands. He takes a deep breath, let’s it out. Takes another one. He turns on the light, unable to stand the darkness lurking in the corners, his chest tight with fear. He’d never been afraid of the dark before, and he wonders what in his dream scared him so badly.

This isn’t helping.

He climbs out of bed, pads down the quiet and empty halls, and is surprised when he opens the door to his friends room to find said friend already standing there.

“Oh!” He startles. “You’re awake- uh-”

“You were coming to see me?” His friend asks, silver eyes curious and not at all judging. Eraqus rubs his arm, feeling silly but not letting it stop him.

“Yeah. Bad dream I guess. Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“It’s okay.” His friend says. “I was actually coming to see you too.”

“Really?” Eraqus blinks. His friend wasn’t prone to such clinginess, not like Eraqus was, and this surprised him. The boy shrugs.

“I can have bad dreams too.”

The two boys hover in the doorway, neither quite sure where to go next.

“Do you mind if I stay with you?” Eraqus asks. His friend shakes his head, stepping aside to let Eraqus in. They settle under the covers, not quite touching, but taking comfort in having one another so close.

Their breathing evens out, and Eraqus feels the comfort chase away the residual fear and uneasiness whatever the dream had left in him. It’s quiet, and comfortable.

“I think I’ve chosen a name.” His friend says quietly, clear in the pristine silence of dawn.

“Yeah?” Eraqus prompts. He keeps his eyes closed, too comfortable to move even that much. He feels his friend nod.

“Yeah. It’s Xehanort.”

Eraqus feels his heart stutter. He hates it. He feels guilty that he hates it. He doesn’t know why.

“I love it.” Eraqus says instead, and this time he does open his eyes, looking up into his friends, so close he can feel his breath. Xehanort smiles, and though it feels soft and a little sad, it’s genuine.

“Thanks.”

He wonders if Xehanort somehow knows he’s lying. Anyone else Eraqus might have made a joke, tried to diffuse the tension, but Xehanort is different. He’s always been different. Eraqus doesn’t always know what to do with that fact, but he tries, because Xehanort is his friend. His dearest friend. He’d never got on very well with the other students. Xehanort was special.

He’d get used to the name, and love it like he loves the boy himself. This he promises.

Slowly, they return to sleep, and for this brief moment the world is peaceful and they’re filled with hope for the future. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think if i'd planned this series out a little more from the start i would have spent a little more time with Ienzo's struggles with identity and tied it in better with this arc's overarching theming. as it is his character arc kind of evolved on its own over the course of the story, and admittedly i did have an unexpected amount of fun with it.


	31. And miles to go before I sleep,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Only a few more battles to go...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * deep breath * okay. ready?

Riku curses as he jogs down the long corridors that grow increasingly more infuriating. He’d gotten separated from Terra, Aqua and Ven, and was now on his own as he runs toward what he assumes must be the next battle. The sky is getting darker, and he knows they have to be getting close to sunset, if it hasn’t started already.

Another tall wall, but this one lacks the magical warding the others do to keep them trapped in the maze. This one almost seems to invite him to climb it. He has nowhere else to go, so he does, finding himself at the top of a tall, wide pillar. It’s large enough he must assume this will either be their next battle, or the battles are complete and now the next step begins… Whatever that is.

“Riku!” A voice calls out, and Riku turns to see Mickey approaching with a blatant look of relief at seeing Riku hale. A moment later Sora pops over the edge of the precipice with a flourish, grinning as Riku waves him over.

There’s no time to talk though as Young Xehanort steps out of a portal across from them, arms spread wide in greeting.

“And so we are near the final clash.” He says. “Welcome, Guardians.”

Two more figures step next to him, and Riku has to fight to control his breathing.

Xemnas and Ansem stare back, solemn but otherwise seeming undisturbed by the situation. Riku had suspected things would come to this, after their hearts had been stolen from him, but his own heart still sinks to see it confirmed before him.

They’d had a chance at becoming their own people, beyond the paths that had been laid before them by fate, and all too soon it had been stolen from them. Maybe it was fair, they’d both done terrible things.. But so had Riku. He had wanted to believe they could do better if given the chance, but now it seemed they would never know.

Young Xehanort smirks, and that seems to be all it takes for the battle to start.

Ansem moves first, darkness spreading around him and flying at the group in sharp bursts. The group scatters, and Young Xehanort moves next, the whip of his keyblade lashing out at anyone too slow to move beyond its reach. Xemnas’ signature lasers circle each of them in turn, and Riku wonders just how many he can summon at once.

Despite this, however, the fight almost feels… staged. Though it’s certainly tense and dangerous, he never gets the feeling that either of the men would truly strike a killing blow if the opportunity arose.

As if by some signal only they can hear, Xemnas and Ansem break off, dancing back and coming to a halt a short distance away. Sora, Riku, and Mickey remain tense, waiting for whatever attack they might be readying, but to their surprise both men seem to relax. Xemnas chuckles lowly, and in a slow, exaggerated motion descends to rest on his knees. Ansem follows suit, though he comes to a rest in a pose more reminiscent of someone waiting to be knighted.

“What are you doing?” Mickey asks, baffled. Ansem smirks.

“A test. Does surrender not count as loss?”

“No, you idiots.” Young Master Xehanort scowls. “The key is not yet formed, and we cannot stop until it is. Get up!”

Both men do, though it’s clear it’s not entirely of their own doing. The Young Master sighs.

“Did you really think our Master would leave so obvious a loophole?”

“Perhaps not.” Xemnas replies. “But more the fools we if he had and we had not tried.”

“Hm.” Ansem sighs, turning his head towards Riku. “Very well. Prepare yourself boy, you will not shame me by dying now.”

Riku watches all this with a tense heart and clenched fists. He glances over at Sora, who has the look of someone thinking very hard. He locks eyes with Riku, face hard.

“Riku, if we break their connection to Xehanort-”

“Oh don’t be foolish.” Young Xehanort turns to them, having heard. “Even if you granted them their sovereignty they still have no choice but to finish the path laid for them, as do I.”

Which means they will fade like all the rest, trapped in this battle just as they all are.

Riku takes Sora’s idea, and has one of his own. He turns his gaze back to Sora and nods firmly. Sora doesn’t need him to explain, falling back into a ready stance. Mickey falls in with them, clearly confused but ready to play along, for which Riku is grateful. He only hopes that they don’t go too far before he can enact his part of their impromptu plan.

Xemnas and Ansem regain their own battle positions, though with reluctance, framing Young Master Xehanort. Sora rushes forward, aiming for Xemnas first and is blocked by the man's long lasers. He risk-dodges quickly, striking thrice before dodging handily away as Xemnas retaliates.

Riku keeps his distance, Dark Firaga and thundaga to keep himself from being targeted too much, and Mickey does his best to keep the other two occupied, sensing that Sora and Riku have some plan.

Xemnas grunts as Sora’s keyblade bites into him again, movements growing sluggish as time wears on.

The tide of battle can be erratic at times, and it nearly takes Riku by surprise when Sora suddenly stops, keyblade mid-swing, only to back off, hands dropping to his sides.

Xemnas stands tall still, refusing to buckle, but the darkness rising from him is clear. He’s fading.

“And so it all comes to an end.” He intones. “A shame.”

“Not yet.” Riku says, and Xemnas gives him a slow blink of surprise. “Just needed you to sit still for a moment.”

He raises Braveheart, and power flows through him giddily. The world around him vanishes, and he looks down on a blank white heartstation. Golden chains hover around it, transparent but binding.

Xemnas stands atop the station, expression carefully neutral and vaguely curious. Riku lifts his blade again.

 _“What do you hope to do?”_ Xemnas asks, the thoughts as heavy and smooth as his voice in the real world. _“I am already condemned.”_

 _“Play along.”_ Riku lets himself smirk. The light shoots from his blade and strikes the chains, and one by one they dissolve. Riku descends, coming to rest on the station in front of Xemnas.

 _“And so I am free in time to die.”_ Xemnas looks down on him. He’s not even angry, merely resigned.

 _“Not if you don’t want to.”_ Riku says. _“You stayed with me before, when you were too tired to go on. You could again.”_

Xemnas eyes him curiously.

_“You would offer such a thing?”_

_“If you want it.”_ Riku shrugs. _“I won’t force you, and I won’t lie and say that life won’t be hard. You have a lot to learn and answer for, but I don’t want to let you die when I have the chance to change that either.”_

To his surprise, Xemnas starts to chuckle.

_“You have a kind heart, boy. Be not careless, it is an easy thing to use against someone.”_

_“Yeah, it is.”_ Riku answers. He knows. He’s done it. _“It’s something I had to… relearn, I guess. I don’t regret it. I’d rather be a kind heart and have it used against me than a hard one that turns away from someone I could have helped.”_

 _“I see.”_ Xemnas says slowly, casting his gaze away from Riku and out into the dark, thoughtful.

_“I won’t say I’m perfect either. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve hurt people out of anger, grief, jealousy.. I’ve been that hard heart that turned away from someone who needed me. None of it was worth it. All I did was hurt others and hurt myself. I can’t make your choice for you, Xemnas, but I can tell you that learning better is worth it, if you’re willing to try.”_

Xemnas turns back to him, and after a long pause he inclines his head. The white of the station below them flakes away like old paint. Thirteen small faces circle the edge, around Xemnas himself, whose eyes are shadowed. Four more visages take prominence around the man; Riku himself, Ansem, Terra, and to his surprise Data Riku.

_“Very well.”_

-

Riku comes back to his body in time to see Xemnas’ body fade into the dark. He’s smiling, just barely, eyes closed.

There’s a familiar tug on his heart. Riku looks to Sora, who clearly wants to ask but waits patiently. He nods, and Sora grins, prompting Riku to smile back.

They turn as one towards where Mickey is valiantly still battling Ansem and Young Xehanort. He’s panting raggedly, inflicting every status effect in his repertoire in order to stay ahead of his two opponents.

Sora and Riku race past him, Sora giving a jaunty smile to the King as he goes, and together they engage Ansem. It’s clear that they’re deliberately driving him away from Young Xehanort, and it’s just as clear from Ansem’s smirk that he knows and is letting them.

He throws spears and electrictrified darkness at them in waves, forcing them on the defensive at first until Riku manages to break through the gap and get in close, striking the man solidly and cancelling his wave of attacks. A wall of lasers not unlike a variation of Xemnas’ pops up around him, forcing Riku to retreat. Sora jumps in then, timing his next strikes perfectly to land just as the barrier vanishes and catching Ansem by surprise.

The man stumbles, but he won’t back down yet, calling on the darkness again to wrap around Sora. Sora slides under it by the skin of his teeth, laying into Ansem once more. Riku closes in again, and they switch off without needing a word of indication to each other.

Honestly, were it not for the seriousness of this whole situation, Riku would be giddy to be here, fighting alongside Sora comes so naturally, it feels _right_. It’s almost calming, in a way, some part of his soul soothed just to be near. He’d felt it in the realm of darkness with Kairi too. The closest he’s ever felt to nirvana was with them.

Ansem staggers back, darkness rising from him, and they cease their assault.

“Well?” He says between gritted teeth. “Finish it. I command you.”

Riku says nothing, raising his blade once more. He appears above Ansem’s station, in all it’s deep blue’s and simple outlines. Ansem himself scowls as Riku dispels the chains.

 _“What do you hope to accomplish here boy?”_ Ansem asks gruffly. Riku shrugs.

_“A choice. You can stay here and meet your end, or join me again, until we can put together something better.”_

_“Why?”_ Ansem’s brows furrow in confusion.

_“Why not? No possession this time though. That’s my only condition.”_

_“The only?”_ One eyebrow raises regally. Riku rolls his eyes.

_“Don’t be an asshole.”_

Ansem regards him for a long moment, and then shakes his head.

_“No. I will stay.”_

_“What?”_ Riku reels, surprised. _“Why?”_

 _“You have lofty ambitions, thinking you can rehabilitate others the way you were.”_ Ansem huffs. _“Don’t be naive, boy. I am responsible for the fall of entire worlds.”_

 _“All of which we brought back.”_ Riku argues. _“And clearly you regret it on some level if you’re willing to let yourself die here because of it.”_

_“Regret is not atonement and you know this as well as anyone. There is nothing that can atone for some things, and I have no intention to try.”_

_“Then don’t, or at least, not in that way.”_ Riku runs a hand through his hair, knowing his words are failing him again but still trying. _“What I mean is… Don’t make the same mistakes. Do better. Don’t leave the people who care about you behind.”_

_“You make a great deal of assumptions, child.”_

_“Xemnas would miss you.”_ Riku says with all the confidence he can muster. He had seen his heart station. The men had become friends, in their own strange way, he’s sure of it. _“I know Terra wanted to get to know you both better. You and Xemnas were helping Data Riku too, weren’t you? He’d be sad to know you left him.”_

Ansem is glaring at him now, but he says nothing. Riku takes a deep breath.

_“And I would too. I think you could do great things, if you tried.”_

Ansem holds his glare for another beat, and then it morphs into a sardonic smile.

 _“You play dirty, boy. I’m proud.”_ He says. _“Go on then, I accept.”_

-

Riku comes back to himself as Ansem fades from sight, and he’s given no time to process what just happened as Young Xehanort takes advantage of his distraction, rushing at him with keyblade bared.

He can’t react in time, but Sora is suddenly there, stopping Young Xehanort in his tracks and driving him back, fury in his eyes. Young Xehanort grins at the boy’s rage, trading blows with a practiced ease.

He trips Sora in a fluid motion but Sora recovers with an improvised dodge roll, moving out of range as Mickey and Riku take up the mantle, pressing the assault against the Young Master until he’s no longer smiling, jaw clenched in concentration instead.

“Stopza!” Mickey calls, and though it doesn’t stop Xehanort entirely like it would most, it slows him down enough for Mickey to hop back and join up with Sora and Riku. The three raise their blades in tandem, brilliant light shooting from them to slam into the Young Master with force.

Young Xehanort tumbles to the ground, and even as he forces himself to his feet they can see the wisps of darkness rising from his shoulders, defeated.

Young Xehanort lifts one hand, turning it over almost curious as he watches the edges of it fade.

He throws his head back and laughs, stumbling to his feet and throwing his arms out wide.

Riku glances at Sora, not really sure what to make of this, and Sora just shrugs.

“It ends!” Young Xehanort crows. “It finally, truly ends! Magnificent!”

“That’s…. Good?” Sora asks, hesitant. Young Xehanort's gaze snaps to him, grin wide and somehow unsettling.

“For me. For you? Well. I would regret not getting to see what’s to come next, but I am more than ready to return to my time. Goodbye, Sora. May the stars have mercy on you.”

He vanishes into the ether, still grinning, and Riku feels something like ice crawl up his spine. He glances at Sora again, who’s holding himself in that way he does when he’s feeling too much and doesn’t know what it is or how to show it.

“Sora-”

“Guys!” A voice calls out, and they turn to see Kairi, Haru, and Vanitas having scaled the precipice. Kairi comes up to them at a run, throwing herself into Riku for a hug as the closest, and pulling away just as quickly ready to do the same to Sora.

Sora ducks under her arms, giving her an awkward and almost certainly fake smile when she looks at him in confusion. He reaches out to pat her shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Kairi.” He says, and despite her misgivings she nods.

“You too.”

“Sora! Your Majesty!” Donald and Goofy appear next, followed by Ven, Terra, and Aqua. Mickey jogs out to greet his court, and Ven approaches Vanitas with a sheepish smile, for which he is rewarded with a light cuff across the top of his head.

Riku glances across the group as they all reunite and check each other over, doing a mental tally.

“Where are Roxas and Xion?” He asks. The others still, and Sora frowns. Vanitas walks to the edge of the precipice, scanning the maze below.

“There.” He points. “They’re fine. Maze is just screwing with them, it looks like.”

“Why would it do that?” Kairi asks, irritated with the whole concept. Vanitas shrugs.

“Dunno. All I know is I spent hours running around the damn thing without a stars damned thing to show for it.”

Ven has the audacity to laugh at him, and Vanitas cuffs him again.

Nothing appears to challenge the group, and it’s only a couple more minutes until Roxas and Xion join them. Xion heaves a happy sigh as she sees Sora, jogging up to him with a relieved smile.

Sora takes a step back as she nears too quickly, and her smile drops.

“Sora, are you okay?”

“Sure I’m fine.” Sora grins, but Riku can tell Xion is about as convinced as he is.

“Sora-”

Riku’s cut off as another pillar rises, and Old Master Xehanort steps into view, ringed by a number of identical keyblades.

“Impressive. Very impressive.” The old master chuckles. “Most of my darknesses defeated, and not a single of your own lost. I applaud you. And now here at last, we reach the zenith.”

Next to Riku, Kairi frowns, eyes raking across the line of keyblades.

“You don’t have enough, there’s only twelve.” She points out. “What are you going to do, take us all on?”

Xehanort laughs.

“What point would there be to that? I must live to _use_ these keys after all. No, I am no piece, I am the chessmaster.”

“But then... you’re out of pieces.” Xion frowns. “The last one was supposed to be me, but I was never defeated. I was able to switch sides, thanks to Sora.”

Xehanort grins, and Riku feels that creeping dread crawl through him once more. The last resilient rays of sunlight flicker out over the horizon as the sun sets completely.

“I am aware.” He says, far too casually. “As should you be, that I plan for _every_ eventuality.”

Behind Riku, starting slowly almost in disbelief and building to a frenetic pitch, Sora starts to laugh.

He strides past Riku as they all watch on, every movement an unnatural combination of tense and relaxed. He stops beneath Master Xehanort as his laugh slows to a giggle, and then nothing at all.

“Sora…?” Ven whispers, dread strangling his voice. Riku has something in his throat that won’t come loose and lead bricks in his chest, only able to watch on in confusion and fear.

Sora takes a deep breath and turns to face them.

His eyes are gold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yup.


	32. And miles to go before I sleep.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finale + Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> someone pointed out that while i've done pretty good on the soriku end of things i haven't really shown much of the boys feelings for kairi, and after thinking about it a bit and reading through again i realised it's largely because whenever kairi centric feelings were happening, they were happening from kairi's perspective, meaning she can't see their inner thoughts. funnily enough this is because i actually really enjoy writing from kairi's perspective (i like being able to flesh her out that way), but still, the writings on the wall on that one. My bad, i'll try to do better about that in the next part.
> 
> that said, uh, back to sora's extended mental breakdown, ft xehanort.

Sora is alone.

It’s the first time he’s been alone since childhood years so young he can’t even really properly remember them. He’s terrified of this fact, so he runs from it, refusing to acknowledge it. Only a terrible person would wish to trap someone else for their own sense of comfort after all, so he doesn’t deal with his feelings of loss, pushing them down until he can pretend they’re not there.

It was easy with a universe-ending threat to solve, giving him something external to focus on that has nothing to do with what a terrible friend he is, how little he has left to give without them by his side.

He’d pushed it down and for a moment- just a moment- he’d almost forgotten it was there. In the frantic pace of battle after battle and the unique peace that fighting alongside Riku and Kairi gave him he’d imagined that everything was okay.

But then, inevitably, the battles end, and reality comes rushing back. He’s still alone, and his friends- his strength- are still just as inevitably going to leave him.

As Xehanort makes his appearance outside, something stirs deep within Sora’s heart.

Sora stands on his heart station alone… For a while. A presence forms, and he turns to face it.

“DiZ?” Sora blinks. He’d forgotten. They all had, that the data was still there. But what was he doing here now?

Behind DiZ, another figure emerges, a darkness hidden within the data. Xehanort smirks at him.

“You.” Sora breathes. His keyblade appears in hand but he feels like his will to fight has all but vanished. He has no backup here, and they’d nearly lost before when he’d still had all four of his heartmates to help. What could he possibly do on his own?

“Greetings, young wielder.” Xehanort greets formally, as if he weren’t in the process of hijacking Sora’s body.

“How are you here?” Sora asks. Xehanort tilts his head, like that wasn’t the question he expected.

“After that infuriatingly stubborn darkness of yours defeated me I knew I had to retreat, bide my time for a better opportunity. It was quite fortunate to find an unlikely ally here.”

“You foiled my revenge.” DiZ says. “I offered to hide him from your sight until a better time appeared.”

“And so here we are.” Xehanort stretches out a hand, grinning. “You are mine now, boy.”

Sora grits his teeth, trying to summon the will to fight… but it doesn’t come. He’s alone. He’s tired. Battle after battle after battle.. And now they’re at the end. He has no worth to anyone anymore.

“Not going to resist?” Xehanort stalks towards him, and Sora lets his keyblade sink toward the ground. It vanishes from his hand.

He thinks of his friends, safe and together outside, and feels his heart wrench in a complicated swirl of emotions. He’s glad they’re safe. Did they even really care about him? They’ll be okay, right? Surely they’ll be better off with each other than around him and all his terrible, repressed thoughts and feelings anyway. He should have shown them long ago, made them realise that he’d never been worth their time. They’re all amazing, Kairi and Riku were both _amazing,_ and he’s…

Well, he’s just Sora.

The dumb, selfish little boy who was scared to be alone in the dark.

“And so the King falls.” Xehanort lords over him, malicious grin on his face. “I have waited a long time for this opportunity.”

There’s something on the edge of Sora’s senses, a cracked, load bearing wall holding back something that will certainly crush him if it gives. He can’t remember, but the heart never forgets. He’s so tired. The ugly things in his heart he’s tried so hard to suppress boil over into something he cannot name, pain and fear coalescing to become something hard and bitter.

He closes his eyes, and doesn’t know what will come next.

-

Vanitas feels something painful crack in him when he sees Sora look at them all with gold eyes and a manic grin. He feels like he’s looking at himself, except it’s all wrong because that’s _Sora,_ sweet, kind Sora who laughed sincerely and tried too hard and worried too much what people thought of him. Vulnerable, gullible Sora who’d opened his heart in the nearest literal sense to help people he’d never even met. Valiant, determined Sora who’s first thought in any situation was how he could _help._

Kairi’s gasp is heartbroken, and Riku holds himself so rigidly that Vanitas is sure he might snap himself in two. Ven takes a single step forward, not wanting to believe it at all, and with that single movement Sora’s keyblade flashes to life in his hands.

“Right.” Riku says, voice sticking. “It’s Xehanort. We failed and didn’t get him out. It’ll be okay Sora, we’ll free you too.”

To their surprise, Sora scoffs.

“Maybe I don’t want to.” Sora says, voice dead and flat. “Maybe I’m fine with this. Did you ever think of that?”

“I don’t believe that.” Kairi shakes her head. “You wouldn’t-”

“I wouldn’t?” Sora cuts her off with a snarl. “I did! You think you know me? _I_ don’t even know me! I’m not anyone! Stop pretending!”

“Sora stop it!” Ven cries, voice strained and broken. “We _do_ know you- let us help!”

He takes a few steps toward the boy, but is forced back along with everyone else as Sora swings his blade in a wide arc. He stares at Sora, wide eyed.

“Come on then!” Sora yells, though his voice shakes. “Fight me!”

Vanitas steps forward. Ven snatches his arm, trying to halt him, scared, but Vanitas looks back at him with all the calmness he can muster. Ven let’s him go. He doesn’t see Aqua move a little closer to Ven, not in caution, but to comfort, watching along with all the rest.

Sora twirls his keyblade in a grim mockery of how Ven often does it.

“You first, Vani?” He says. “Time to see how well you really taught me how to fight, right?”

Vanitas summons Unchained. It’s heavy in his hand. He holds it up, makes sure Sora can see it, sees the broken chains and shattered eye, the marks of freedom from a past he’d fought so hard for. That he’d gained while trying to save Sora from this very fate… and apparently failed.

And then he tosses it onto the ground between them.

“No.”

Sora’s frown is dark and angry.

“So I’m not even worth fighting?”

“You pulled me out of my own spiral of self destruction.” Vanitas says, eyes locked with Sora’s. “So I’m saying this isn’t you. I won’t let you start your own.”

“Why?!” Sora shouts. “You say you know me? I’ve never been _anyone_ without you. Without you there isn’t a me _left!”_

“Of course there is, Sora-!” Ven tries to protest, but he doesn’t seem to know what else to say. It’s so difficult to put what they had thought was obvious into words.

Donald and Goofy edge forward, not enough to enter the small arena that houses Sora and Vanitas’ confrontation, but enough to catch Sora’s attention. They both look at the boy mournfully.

“Sora…” Donald starts. “Please stop.”

“We promised ta look after ya.” Goofy says. “I reckon we mighta mucked it up.. But you don’t gotta do this.”

Sora’s jaw clenches and he won’t meet their eyes. Roxas comes up next.

“You’re hurting.” He says, understanding. “I get it. You don’t have to fight this alone. We’re all your friends, we’re all here for you.”

“No, you _don’t_ get it.” Sora grits his teeth, shakes his head stiffly and voice shaking with anger. “None of you _get_ it. You _can’t.”_

Haru’s stare is wide and disbelieving. He doesn’t know what to do, what to say. How had this happened?

“Maybe not.” Xion says. She doesn’t move, but Terra and Aqua part so the line of sight is unbroken. “But I think I can get pretty close. Maybe it’s not okay right now, but if you just let us help then maybe-”

“You can’t help- stop saying you can!” Sora shouts, desperate. “Shut up! Shut up and fight me! Stop pretending you care!”

“Sora-” Kairi starts, but Sora just let’s out another angry roar.

“No!” He yells again. “You and Riku are perfect! Perfect and together and you don’t need me like you’ve never needed me! Not really! All I’ve ever been is just the trap for other people to fall into!”

Kairi steps back, tears in her eyes and stunned, and Riku puts a gentle hand to her back to keep her from falling even as he himself struggles to process the unexpected vitriol and self hatred their beloved friend spews.

“Fine.” Vanitas says, voice as level and as neutral as he can make it. He only mostly succeeds. “You want to do this? Then hit me.”

“And there it is.” Sora says like he’s been proven right. “Pick up your keyblade.”

“No.” Vanitas says again, his gaze unwavering against Sora’s. “I never said that. I’m not going to fight you. You want to do this, then you have to do it the hard way. Make this the first thing you’ve done as your own person. Hit me.”

Sora hesitates, jaw clenched as he jerks- almost as if fighting with himself- and then finally he roars wordlessly, angry tears running down his cheeks as he’s caught in the moment and rushes forward.

Vanitas doesn’t move. He hears Ven cry out, the others gasp, but he stares directly at Sora as the boy brings his keyblade back, and then swings it down with all his strength.

It never makes contact.

Vanitas continues to stare blankly forward as Sora’s keyblade turns into glittering motes of stardust that fall gently around them. Sora himself stumbles past him, carried by his momentum, and then falls to his knees, sobbing loudly.

Vanitas isn’t even truly hurt that Sora really had meant to hit him. He recognizes this sort of broken, though he’s not entirely sure where it came from. He’d _been_ that broken person once, lashing out to cause pain in a desperate bid to relieve his own, though unlike him Sora almost had to be forced into it. He takes a deep, shaky breath.

“Shameful.” Xehanort speaks, and Vanitas is reminded who’s really to blame here.

Xehanort vanishes from his plateau, and a moment later appears standing above where Sora kneels. His keyblade hovers over Sora’s head ominously. Everything seems to move in slow motion as Vanitas whirls to face him.

“To think you once captured the hearts of some of the most powerful entities in the cosmos.” Xehanort tuts. “I expected more. Still, I have my key, and it is enough.”

He stabs downward.

Vanitas doesn’t remember much after that, a whirlwind of screaming and tears and adrenaline fueled combat. Even against them all, Xehanort is no fool, and they are all weary from long hours of battles. He holds them off for far longer than any of them would have preferred. Vanitas doesn’t remember who struck the final blow, nor what happened to all the keys they’d been fighting so hard over. Once he might have cared, wanted to do it himself. He doesn’t particularly care anymore. It only matters that it’s done.

Xehanort had wanted to create the world anew. Attempting to right past wrongs, or so he had boasted at one point during the clash, and in doing so reasoning that any wrongs created now would not matter in the world to come. He’d had some plan for Riku and Kairi in particular, in this hypothetical reset, but like all the rest it’s little more than drivel to Vanitas. None of it matters, in the face of what he’d done.

Vanitas will spit on his grave for it, should they even deign to give him one.

He had taken Sora from them, and Vanitas doesn’t know where to begin processing that. He’s spent so much of his life in some kind of hurt, but this sort of grief… It’s different.

They cluster together in the empty badlands after, hurt and exhausted and grieving. Vanitas himself had taken an exceptionally bad hit at one point and was still recovering despite several potions. Their magic had long since been spent, and no one has enough left to cure a common houseplant, let alone an actual injury. He lays back against one of his larger remaining Unversed, watching the others quietly fret over each other.

He watches as Riku and Kairi get up, not a word spoken, only sharing a single meaningful glance before they stand. They look up at the silent, immense presence that is Kingdom Hearts. He already knows their plan without needing to ask. He wishes them luck.

They’re going to need it.

EPILOGUE

Vanitas looks up at the quaint little house he had, technically, spent the last decade living in with a surprisingly wracked nerves.

“You ready?” Ven asks. Vanitas scoffs.

“No.”

“Me either.” Xion admits quietly. “But they should know.”

“Riku and Kairi will find him.” Roxas says. “And we’ll do whatever we can to help too. We’re not just going to let him go.”

“I should have come back before.” Vanitas mumbles. “This isn’t exactly a good trade, their son for a lookalike that isn’t even theirs.”

“It’s not a trade, stupid.” Roxas protests. “Look, it.. It all sucks, but…”

“They’ll still be happy you came.” Ven continues. “They promised we’d have a place here and they meant it.”

Slowly, reluctantly, Vanitas nods. Xion raises a hand to knock on the wooden door.

Kaze and Lia open readily, and somehow it almost hurts more that they’re so happy to see them all.

Breaking the news is hard.

-

The data transfer goes without a hitch, and Data Sora waits impatiently as Riku’s data is slowly compiled and sorted. He paces the datascape as he waits, and the moment Data Riku’s eyes blink with awareness Sora launches himself into his arms, pressing a messy kiss to his lips and then hugs him as tightly as he can.

“Riku! I’m so glad you’re back!”

Data Riku laughs, always happy to see his Sora.

“Miss me?”

Data Sora pulls back to punch Riku in the chest just enough to hurt. Riku winces, but doesn’t step back.

“Yeah I guess I deserve that.”

“I watched you _die._ Don’t you ever do that to me again.”

Data Riku pulls Sora close, and his companion melts readily into the embrace.

“Not if I can help it. I’m sorry I put you through that.”

“What do you remember?” Data Sora asks without pulling away. Data Riku hums.

“Still compiling… ah, up until I uploaded the copy of my consciousness to the drive, roughly two days ago if my time settings are correct. I can guess what happened after though.”

“Yeah.” Sora nods. He shakes himself, as if trying to shake away the memories, and then grins again, leaning forward to peck Riku again. Data Riku smiles indulgently, and it turns into a game with no score, soft kisses traded back and forth between them.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“I’m glad you’re here with me.”

-

It’s been a week, a long, hard week. Xion is tired. They know Roxas is too. Neither of them have really stopped or settled anywhere since the graveyard. They need to find Sora and Lea and Isa. They’re out there somewhere.

Kaze and Lia had opened their home to them, offered it indefinitely, but for now the thought of staying still is anathema. There’s too much to do, too many places to look, too many people to find.

Riku and Kairi think they might have a lead in their connection, but though Xion desperately hopes it’s true, they keep their eyes peeled for that familiar head of tousled brown hair anyway. Knowing he's out there somewhere is a cold comfort when they don't know where, or if he's okay... A silly thought. Of course he's not okay.

They sleep in a borrowed gummi ship for the most part. They could use still corridors, but if they want to keep any real amount of supplies nearby they need someplace to store them, not to mention lugging unconscious bodies that may or may not be still dressed in dark-protective gear through those corridors would be a risk at best, and they’re trying to plan ahead.

In the end, Ienzo calls them. Isa has reappeared in the Castle lab.

They rush there, hopeful that Lea might soon show there with him, but he hasn’t, and doesn’t. Isa remains unconscious, and a slow two days pass as they wait.

Isa wakes once, disoriented and distressed. His first words are to ask where Lea is, why they’re helping him. His second are a half conscious plea to get him out of the Castle. He has no third, pushing himself too hard and too fast and falling unconscious once more.

“Where can we even take him?” Roxas asks. “I know Sora’s mom’s said we could stay whenever, but I don’t think they meant _this_.”

“...Twilight Town?” Xion posits hesitantly, and Roxas winces. “I know but, it’s empty, it’s got at least one bedroom already, and no one would bother us there. Just until he wakes up, okay?”

Roxas regards them for a long moment, thinking hard.

“Yeah, okay.” He agrees. “Just until he wakes up.”

-

Naminé steps out into the light of Radiant Garden, and everything feels strange to her. The breeze on her skin, the smells in the air... Even the colours seem brighter.

She doesn’t realize she’d started swaying until Haru presses a steadying hand to her shoulder, and she gives him a small, grateful smile.

“Where.. Do we go?” She asks timidly. The hand on her shoulder reaches down to take her hand.

“Wherever you want.” Haru answers. “Though I do believe Kairi said you have a succulent to keep watered.”

“Right.” Naminé finds herself smiling, even if the reminder is a little sad.

“I’d like to see Kaze and Lia, if that’s alright.” Haru continues. “They might have some suggestions for getting you help too.”

“Mh.” Naminé makes a vaguely agreeable noise. Haru frowns.

“Naminé-”

“No, I know, it’s just..” Naminé purses her lips, trying to find the words. “Riku and Kairi promised they would do it, and now…”

“They are, by having me do it.” Haru asserts. “You know they would be here themselves if they could.”

“No time to waste.” Naminé agrees. “They waited too long already for there to be a body for me. I understand.”

“Really? Because it kind of sounds like you don’t.”

“I guess… My head and my heart are telling me different things. I don’t know how I feel, even though I know what I should.”

“That’s okay.” Haru says. “It’s okay to be disappointed even though you understand why it is the way it is.”

“I suppose.”

Haru leads the way, taking her down the steps and towards where a gummiship waits.

“Come on. That plant won’t water itself you know.”

And Naminé lets herself laugh.

-

Aqua and Terra return to the Land of Departure, and it looks almost as if they had never left it.

They had, though, and the proof is in their scars, the way they will sometimes jump at shadows, keyblades flashing to life in their hands, in the streaks of white in Terra’s hair, the darkness that still stains Aqua’s limbs.

Still, the Land welcomes them back as it always did, and they take comfort in this over the course of the week as they settle in to try and find a new normal.

Aqua puts her phone down as she sits on one of the overlarge reading chairs in the study. Terra looks up, and they share a smile.

“How’s Ven?” Terra asks.

“Good, I think.” Aqua answers, reaching for the book she had left on the counter side, bookmark dangling out one end. It’s an obtuse volume detailing the causes and effects of losing one's heart. “Or at least, as good as he can be, considering.”

Terra sighs.

“They’re taking it especially hard, huh?”

“Can you blame them?” She asks. “Sora did so much for all of us, but Ven spent a decade with him. Helped raise him almost. I’m not surprised he’s hurt that he can’t help find him.”

“Wherever he is.” Terra murmurs. Aqua sighs.

“Yes.”

“I hope they can do it.”

“Me too.”

-

It had been Vanitas’ idea, surprisingly enough.

“A road trip?” Ven had asked, to which Vanitas had nodded seriously.

“We’ve been child soldiers, amnesiac pawns, mortal enemies in someone else's war, and trapped in someone else's heart for a full decade… Do we know a single thing about how normal people work?”

Ventus had to admit, no. He really didn’t.

So the idea had taken shape. A road trip, going from place to place, world to world, and just… learn. Figure out both themselves and how things were maybe supposed to be. It had a dual purpose of course, to keep a look out for any leads on the one who had made it all possible. Who had broken down violently right in front of them and been powerless to help, and who had been casually murdered before their eyes.

Who they hope, painfully and desperately, and Riku and Kairi might be able to find.

So Ven is all in favour of this road trip idea, really.

And hey, at least Vanitas isn’t running anymore.

-

The flowers bloom in Scala Ad Caelum. Deft fingers root between them, picking out choking weeds and tossing them aside.

A particular root fights his hand, and on finding he’s left his tools some distance away, he summons his keyblade instead, using the flowered end to dig up the pesky thing.

“I don’t think it’s supposed to be used for that.”

Lauriam looks up at Elrena, who has one judgmental eyebrow raised at him. He shrugs.

“If it didn’t want to be used for gardening, it shouldn’t have become my keyblade.”

She laughs at him.

“Come on, green thumb. You’ll never guess what I just found.”

She has his attention, and he stands, not even bothering to brush away the dirt.

“Tell me.”

-

Mickey steps back onto the grounds of Disney Castle to the sounds of cheering and fanfare. Minnie greets him there, and he plasters on his best Kingly Smile for the crowds. He wasn’t royalty by blood like Minnie was, but at events like this he was still expected to play the part.

Thankfully, Minnie knows him well and can sense how utterly exhausted he is, walking through the crowds at a brisk pace. She lingers not a moment longer than she’s contractually expected to, and it’s a blessedly short amount of time before the two are safely ensconced in their private chambers.

“What happened, dear?” She asks softly, cupping his cheek in one hand. He leans into her touch.

“We lost Sora.” He says, and his eyes close as he feels the grief and regret of it again, still so recent. Minnie gasps softly, tears welling in her eyes.

“Oh.”

“Xion thinks there might be a way to save him. Riku and Kairi are gonna try.” He continues. Minnie pulls him closer for a tight hug and Mickey returns it gratefully.

“Is there nothing we can do?” She asks. He knows the feeling. All the power at their disposal… and was there truly no way they could help?

“Not that we could see.” Mickey admits. “Their connection to Sora is the only thing we can find that might work.”

“Then we’ll do what we can here.” Minnie pulls back, and he can see she’s got her Planning face on. He smiles at the sight of it. That’s his Minnie, always ready with something in mind. “Whenever they return, or if they need a place to rest or if they need backup, we’ll be here to provide it.”

“You’re right.” He holds her hands tightly, and she squeezes his fingers in return. “It’s not much, but we gotta do whatever we can.”

“Absolutely.” Minnie agrees, then sobers. “Did you ever get to talk to Riku about…?”

“No.” Mickey shakes his head. “Never really seemed to be a good time. I did get him to talk about his family a bit though. They don’t deserve him.”

“When he gets back then.” Minnie asserts. “He can bring Sora and Kairi with, of course.”

“Of course.” Mickey agrees readily. It wouldn’t do to seperate them, especially after everything that’s happened.

-

Kairi takes a deep breath. The dusty winds of the Keyblade Graveyard seem to breathe in turn. The massive form of Kingdom Hearts has faded since that fateful day, but they can both still feel it’s power hanging above them, silent and ominous.

She hates this place. She never wants to be here again.

“You ready?” Riku asks, steady by her side. Kairi nods.

“We have to find him. Even if he doesn’t want to be found.”

“Especially if he doesn’t want to be found.” Riku says softly. “What Xion said… That would break anyone. We can’t leave him alone through that. Not anymore.”

“No.” Kairi agrees. “Stars, Riku- I-”

“I know.” He pulls her close. This isn’t the first time they’ve had this discussion. It probably won’t be the last. “Xion said they could feel him out there. I do too. He’s alive. Or at least there’s something to be found. We just have to figure out where.”

It’s not in Kairi’s nature to be jealous, not since she’d learned the how’s and why’s of it all, but… She can’t help it this time. She wishes she had that knowledge, that link, to _know_ he’s still out there for them to find. It’s not fair.

She wishes the paopu had worked like the legends always said.

“I love him.” Kairi whispers the confession into Riku’s jacket. This isn’t how she wanted to say it, but it’s just too painful to carry alone now. She regrets every second she’d waited, every moment she’d been sure it wasn’t yet the right time, when all the while Sora had been falling further and further into despair and loneliness, convinced they couldn’t love him at all.

“...Me too.” Riku presses his face into her hair, and she can feel him tremble with the weight of his own feelings. Kairi hugs him tighter.

“I love you too.” She says just as quietly as the first. It’s all wrong. They were all supposed to have been there. This should have been a happy moment.

She feels Riku tighten his own grip, though he says nothing right away. She’s not afraid though. She knows him well enough.

“I do but.. I can’t say it. Not yet.” He finally answers. “Not until it’s all of us. Not until he’s okay.”

“I understand.” And she does. She doesn’t need to hear him say the words. Kairi still knows his feelings without them. Someday, maybe. She can be patient a little longer. She pulls back, and he lets her.

She holds out her hand.

Riku takes it, and the search for Sora begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> obviously not every loose end has been wrapped up, and there's still some things to take care of; not the least of which is sora himself. (oh vanitas. he tries to help one time and says exactly the wrong thing ;-;)
> 
> unfortunately despite how long this one was and the time it gave me, burnout hit me hard for a variety of reasons and the next part isn't finished. i feel legitimately bad leaving you guys on this kind of cliffhanger. i swear my intent was to upload this and then jump straight into the next part, bc i know i'm evil but i didn't want to be _that_ evil. i'm so sorry
> 
> so here's what's happening; i'm gonna finish the next part, which centers on rikai's hunt for sora. i'd originally planned on another part that ran alongside it centering on everyone else and their adventure's in trying to find a new normal, but i don't think i can handle that kind of load rn, even though i'd plotted out a rough outline and overarching plot. instead once the rikai search is done i'll probably start doing the New Normal stuff as a series of oneshots that i'll upload as i finish them. they probably won't be as polished as usual as a result, but the alternative is to just drop it entirely and i don't want to do that.
> 
> all this of course is subject to change, i might go full hardcore mode again by the time i'm done the sora search section, but i don't want to get anyone's hopes up. thanks for sticking with me through this wild ride!

**Author's Note:**

> Monday/Thursday updates :)


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